ABOVE: (Left) John and Jett Jansky address Danville City Council on tattoo parlor plans at 7 E. North St. (Right) Matt Stines addresses Council about True Grit Fitness plans at 4102 N. Vermilion.
The Danville City Council has approved two zoning changes for proposed businesses, forwarded by the Danville Planning and Zoning Commission. Jett Jansky, and his father John Jansky, are planning a tattoo parlor on the northeast corner of Vermilion and North in Downtown Danville. The address would be 7 E. North; and it would be in the back of the building occupied by Vermilion River Beer Company, as well as the antique shop right on the corner. Jett Jansky says their parlor will be by appointment only, and will follow all safety regulations. He says tattoos have long outgrown the old stereotype of who gets them, and they want to share their art with the community.
AUDIO: I think the culture and the industry has come a long way from the early days. And hopefully we can turn a new leaf and bring change, and maybe change minds into more of a positive light; that maybe were stuck in an older way of thinking about, you know, tattooing and the art.
The tattoo parlor was unanimously approved.
Meanwhile, plans for a True Grit Fitness at 4102 North Vermilion, or the corner of North Vermilion and Devonshire in the Devonshire Village; were approved by a vote of nine to three. “No” votes came from Eve Ludwig, Heidi Wilson, and Alesia Ford. Carolyn Wands and Ethan Burt were not in attendance. Matt Stines, who lives on Devonshire just down the street from the proposed site, has been operating a True Grit Fitness at 1 Donna Drive in Tilton since 2017. Ironically, he’s a tattoo artist by trade. But now he’s semi-retired; with a passion, he says, for fitness and travel baseball.
Stines says while the Tilton location includes tanning and group fitness, he’s really wanted to build a True Grit where baseball players can practice pitching and hitting year ’round.
AUDIO: My wife and I, Jennifer, have always wanted to create an athletic training facility; for a more sports oriented type facility, to help kids with travel baseball and stuff like that.
Stines says the facility at North Vermilion and Devonshire would be similar in size to the one in Tilton, but with a couple definite differences.
AUDIO: There won’t be any tanning; and we’re going to add the batting cages and pitching lanes.
The property at 4102 North Vermilion is currently owned by developer Paul Offutt. Stines is hoping to get everything in place soon, so that preliminary construction could begin before the end of the year.
