Council approves narrower buffer and downtown carve-out for beer-and-cigarette (vape) shops

A Metropolitan Council committee approved changes to the zoning rules for beer-and-cigarette retail establishments, including vape shops, moving to a substitute that removes a 100-foot residential buffer and adopting a downtown carve-out that imposes a 500-foot spacing requirement.

Councilmember Benedict moved the substitute, which removes the original 100-foot residential buffer and the downtown traffic center (DTC) exemption from the earlier draft. The substitute keeps a citywide spacing requirement of about a quarter-mile (1,320 feet) between establishments. The committee then adopted a friendly amendment that restores the DTC carve-out but imposes a 500-foot separation for downtown areas.

Councilmember Benedict said the original ordinance required a “100 foot buffer” that would have touched nearly every parcel and made compliance “almost impossible.” She described the substitute as reflecting planning commission recommendations and removing the DTC from the original bill while keeping the intershop spacing requirement.

A downtown councilmember who sponsored the amendment said the 500‑foot downtown spacing balances neighborhood concerns with the realities of downtown commercial density and noted clusters of six or seven shops in a small area.

The committee recorded unanimous support for the substitute and for the amendment. The bill and the substitute were moved and approved by the committee with nine votes in favor, zero opposed, and zero abstentions.

The changes now proceed to the full council with the committee’s adopted substitute and amendment.