Tattoo Shop Fights City's Attempt At 2nd Relocation

INDIANAPOLIS -- Myra Raines moved her tattoo business once because of a zoning conflict. She says she won't do it again without a fight.

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Tattoo Business Fights City's Attempt At 2nd Relocation

Raines (pictured, left) is asking a court to prevent the city from making the business move again, saying a city planner had told her the second property's zoning was compatible with her shop.

The tattoo shop, Needleworx, moved last year from 1109 North Shadeland Ave. to 11530 E. Washington St. Raines, her attorney, and the owner of the Washington Street property say they checked with city planners before the relocation.

But now that the move is complete, the city has changed its mind and is asking the business (pictured, right) to move again, they said.

The landlord, Dave Lark, said he spent $20,000 of his retirement money to remodel his Washington Street building for Raines "on the strength of what the (Department of Metropolitan Development) said."

Lark said a senior city planner "personally said it was OK."

City officials declined to comment, citing the pending litigation. But Mark T. Reynold of the Cumberland Gap Neighborhood Association said he believed Raines and Lark can provide no evidence that they were told the second property's zoning would be compatible with a tattoo shop.

"None of that was documented in writing -- this is my understanding. And unless it is documented in writing, people can have a very different understanding of what happened and who said what," Reynold said.

Raines said the city is doing the wrong thing.

"When you take all your energy, resources, time and money into moving your business from one place that didn't want you there because of zoning to another place because they said you could be there, and then they change their minds ... that's wrong," she said.

A court hearing is scheduled for June 18.