City staff members have launched a campaign to better reach out to and educate massage business owners and operators following a public hearing on proposed new regulations this week.

At its special meeting on Jan. 23, the Planning Commission approved moving forward with several new regulations on massage establishments. Ultimately, the proposed changes will go before the City Council at a future meeting.  The proposed changes include: 

• Changes to the zoning code that would impose a 1,000 foot distance requirement between massage establishments and would prevent massage establishments from locating within 150 feet of residential zones.
• Additional changes are also being proposed to Title XI Chapter 122 (Business Regulations, Massage Establishments); however, because these proposed changes are not contained in the zoning code, a Planning Commission recommendation is not required.

To view a full list of the proposed regulations, read the staff report.

Several people spoke out against the proposed changes at the meeting, and after hearing from local business owners city staff members have decided to do further outreach with the business community to increase understanding about the city’s regulations on massage, including how to navigate the Conditional Use Permit application process. Originally, the issue had been scheduled to go before the City Council in February; however, the city has postponed that hearing until April in order to give staff members enough time to conduct the necessary outreach.

For questions or more information, contact Planning Manager Tracy Steinkruger at 626.308.2800, ext. 4623 or tsteinkruger@sgch.org.