Rochester City Council is set to vote Dec. 16 on legislation that will change the zoning designation for a property along Atlantic Avenue.
The property is located at 1225 Atlantic Ave. in the city’s southeast quadrant and is currently designated as R-1 low density residential.
The legislation aims to change this property to a C-2 community center in order to allow the present operation of the building for retail sales and service.
Businesses hope for expanded uses under new zoning
Businesses that are currently operating in the building include a tattoo shop, a permanent makeup shop and a piercing studio.
Converting this property to a C-2 would also add several additional permitted uses such as public entertainment, health clubs, restaurants and banquet facilities.
The building was originally constructed and used as a church in 1950. Since then it has gone back and forth between being used as a church and offices according to city property records.
The most recent change to the property was in 2019 when the building was converted back to offices. Renovations were made on the inside that broke up the space into multiple rooms and offices.
Council vote could reshape southeast Rochester
The application to make this zoning chance was reviewed by the City Planning Commission during an informational meeting on Aug. 18. Both the applicant, Hannah Harasymchuk and the owner, Patrick Buschle, were in favor of this proposed amendment but several people spoke in opposition of this proposal.
Harasymchuk, the owner of Heartstring Tattoo & Co., requested the change to the zoning map. During the informational meeting she expressed how her goal was to always open a small business of her own in Rochester.
“My goal is to seamlessly combine my deep love for all things art, wellness and beauty related,” Harasymchuk said during the meeting. “It’s important that I provide a professional and safe environment rooted in kindness, gratitude and a place where our clients will receive exceptional services in many different varieties.”
Harasymchuk also mentioned how she wants to avoid the average stereotypical tattoo shop describing how her business will be an upscale place that provides a spa-like experience for clients where they can feel relaxed, safe and taken care of.
Neighborhood groups push back against proposed change
Debbi Keller, chairperson of the North Winton Village Association, attended the meeting and spoke in opposition to this change.
“We don’t want another commercial corridor. We watched that happen on Blossom Road and it was a mistake that we don’t want to make again,” Keller said. “This property has gone back and forth from a church to an office building four times since I believe it was 1968. Then we end up with a cannabis shop, a smoke shop, an adult shop, we don’t want that in our neighborhood.”
Keller also stressed how the North Winton Village Association is not against the applicant’s tattoo and permanent makeup shop but feels it would be better for the applicant to have researched the zoning code and purchased the building in an existing space zone for C-2 purposes.
“People might want to jump on that bandwagon, increase that commercial corridor going further down into the city into the future, once you start that it becomes a slippery slope,” Keller said. “We have watched it happen, it’s just going to go against what North Winton Village and our bordering Browncroft neighborhood feel.”
The City Planning Commission vote ended with three people being against the resolution and three people being for it. Since the commission failed to decide on a recommendation, a public hearing is required before city council.
— Kerria Weaver works as the Government and You reporter for the Democrat and Chronicle, with a focus on how government actions affect communities and neighborhoods in Rochester and in Monroe County
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Zoning switch for Atlantic Ave draws ‘commercial corridor’ fight
Reporting by Kerria Weaver, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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