Do adult businesses like tattoo studios, and pawn and smoke shops have a place in the Village of Pittsford?
Mayor Robert Corby says it's up to residents and village trustees to decide. A public hearing is scheduled for tonight.
The village is considering a six-month moratorium on any applications or approvals for so-called adult businesses. Corby said that will give trustees time to update the village zoning code, which was written in the 1950s.
"We believe that tattoo studios are a protected form of free speech, so they probably need to be allowed in some form,” Corby said. “Our current code doesn't do that. We also had an independent discussion on the Village Board, because we've seen different businesses that aren't addressed in our current code popping up all over suburban Rochester and we want to make sure we address these issues."
The mayor said he’s more concerned about issues like odors, parking and crowds than the tone of a given business.
“Many suburban towns have a ring of parking that separates the business and residential district. That's not the case in Pittsford Village. We have many areas of the business district where people are living right next door to businesses. So there's a pretty high standard that we want to prevent anything that might constitute a nuisance for existing businesses or residents of the neighborhood."
Tonight's hearing is at 5:30 at Pittsford Village Hall on Main Street.
