FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Despite the passionate pleas of two professional tattoo artists and support from Commissioner Laura Semanson, the Board of Commissioners chose to bar tattoo parlors from three overlay districts in Forsyth County during Thursday’s public hearings.

The vote was 4-1 to keep those businesses out of the overlay districts of Atlanta Highway/McFarland Parkway/Mulinax Road, Peachtree Parkway/Bethelview Road and Campground Castleberry/Kelly Mill/Post Road.

Russ Abbott argued, “The most desirable commercial real estate is in those districts. I need to know if I put a high-end, custom tattoo studio in this county I can be successful. I need to be able to bring in tattoo artists from around the country to work in this studio.”

Tattoo artist Rob Ingram who lived in Forsyth County for many years before moving to Dawson County said, “There are so many reasons why limiting where I can place a studio is wrong.I shouldn’t have to worry about where I can open a studio because I am not welcome in an overlay district.”

Semanson said, “I don’t see the need to put a blanket-type prohibition. I personally feel that is unfair. The county is given the tools to regulate businesses during the conditional use permit process (CUP). To me that is all that is needed.”

Commissioner Todd Levent and the others were not swayed. Levent said the overlay districts comprise only about 10 percent of the county. “I’m not interested in tattoo parlors going into these overlay districts.”