The Hayward City Council, by a 4-2 vote, upheld the Planning Commission's denial for a conditional use permit for the third tattoo parlor in downtown Hayward. I watched the tail end of the public hearing on channel 15, and heard some of the last few public speakers, both for and against the tattoo parlor, and the comments of the councilmembers.
I heard the remarks of the psycho logist who commented on that she was a liberal but her constituents have stereotyped all people who get tattoos as gangbangers. She had very little credibility, in my humble opinion. It didn't smell right. Hey, business is business.
I think a couple of the council were concerned that this wasn't the right mix of business (that is, "restaurants") to complement Cinema Place. My comment still stands: beggars can't be choosers. If the business is vibrant and healthy and isn't associated wih repeated criminal activities, then bring it on, again, in my humble opinion.
The lame duck mayor didn't make much sense, again, in my opinion. She was intimating that the City Council could stop Starbucks-on-every-corner if they wanted. What is she talking about?
I felt more comfortable with councilmember Quirk's and Halliday's opinions (the two votes against the motion to uphold the Planning Commission). Halliday was especially critical of the "discrimination" (or was it "discrminatory"?) opinion/views of the council majority.
Halliday's summary was: the price of business is getting the right permits. If you don't get the right permits, you don't get the business. Hopefully the (thwarted tattoo parlor) business person can rebound from this slap in the face and make money elsewhere. What the council told them, essentially, is: you're nice people but we don't need your kind of business 'roun here.
In terms of "diversity" the leading business in downtown Hayward is: "for lease." So much for diversity.
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