Massage Parlor Rules Approved by Council

The council established new rules Wednesday governing the operation of new massage parlors in the township.

Officials approved a litany of changes regarding new massage parlors and nail salons that have massage chairs.

Mayor Chris Vergano said the changes are designed to prevent “seedy” businesses from coming to town. Officials said that they have had to deal with complaints from residents regarding busloads of people coming to certain establishments late at night.

“Our goal here was not to put you out of business,” Vergano said to a massage parlor owner at the council meeting. “Our goal was not to hurt your type of establishment but to protect your type of establishment and go after the other type of establishments that, quite frankly, have no purpose that I can see.”

An employee of Gold Spa was charged with engaging in prostitution earlier this year. Police went undercover at the establishment after they received an anonymous tip from a concerned citizen.

The law requires that a patron’s “sexual or genital areas” be covered by towels, cloths, or undergarments when in the presence of an employee.

Any establishment already licensed for 2013 will not have to comply with any of the new provisions until 2014. The new rules go into effect May 14.

Existing businesses are grandfathered under some of the provisions, specifically having a sink in every massage room and a shower in the facility. An establishment could lose its "grandfathered" status depending on what type and to what extent renovations are made to the establishment.

The new law requires that licensed masseuses and therapists display their picture inside their place of work. They also must show proof they have been certified by the state.  

Each massage room needs to have a sink, and owners are required to submit a sterilization plan for non-disposable instruments to the Health Department.   

Officials discussed changing the law last year but postponed the decision until state officials changed the legislation on their level first.

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