Planning commission forwards vape-shop rules to council after hours, age provisions amended

Liberty Hill — The Planning & Zoning Commission reviewed proposed zoning and business regulations for vape shops that would place new 1,000-foot distance limits between new vape shops and "sensitive areas" and between vape shops themselves, and would change operating rules including hours and on-site age limits.

The proposal, presented by planning staff, would require at least 1,000 feet between new vape shops and schools, day cares, video-arcade facilities, parks, community centers, libraries, places of worship and residential zones; bar new clustering by keeping vape shops a minimum of 1,000 feet apart; allow vape shops by right in C-3, I-1 and I-2 zones; allow them with a conditional-use permit in C-1 and C-2; and prohibit them in agricultural, single-family, multifamily, public/institutional and park zoning districts. The staff presentation also described proposed business rules: limits on hours, a ban on outside sales and a prohibition on persons under 21 being on the premises.

The commission was told the proposal includes a notice requirement undertaken under what staff described as "Senate Bill 9 29" (as read in the hearing) and that 16 property owners and tenants were mailed notices; at the time of the presentation two parties had reached out and the packet contained one letter of opposition, with two additional letters later provided to commissioners.

Why it matters: The combined zoning and business-regulation package aims to reduce youth exposure and place vape shops away from places…