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Residents urge York City to address vape shops near schools; council notes zoning rewrite
Summary
Multiple residents told the council they are alarmed by vaping stores clustered near York schools and community centers and urged investigations, stricter enforcement and zoning limits; a council member said the city will consider zoning ordinance changes during a comprehensive-plan rewrite.
Several York City residents told the council on April 1 they are concerned about a cluster of vaping stores located near elementary and middle schools and community centers and urged city action to protect youth.
Sharif Hamid, a York City resident, said a new store opened about 50 feet from Lincoln Elementary School and cited other outlets close to the middle school and high school. Hamid described easy youth access, bright storefront displays and the prevalence of vaping products he said are highly addictive. He said he had discussed the issue previously with the owners of a shop called Smoke and Chill and that the city’s current placement and display rules are insufficient to prevent youth exposure.
Resident Brian Gooden, who said he is known in the community as “Gido,” described years of local opposition to Smoke and Chill and said the store has become a local hot spot for underage vape access. Gooden cited research he said links adolescent vaping to long-term harms and alleged that illegal vape pens and unregulated products are being sold to minors. He asked the council to investigate specific businesses, increase enforcement and pass local ordinances to keep vape shops away from schools, churches and community centers.
Council response and next steps
A council member noted that the city is preparing a new comprehensive plan and will be redoing zoning ordinances, and said the concerns raised will be useful when staff draft zoning updates. The clerk said the city will share the speakers’ information with administration.
What residents asked for
Speakers called for: investigations of shops suspected of underage sales; stricter penalties for businesses violating underage-sales laws (fines, license revocation, shutdown); increased compliance checks and undercover operations; local zoning limits preventing vape shops from operating near schools and community centers; and education campaigns for parents and youth.
This issue was recorded during the public-comment portion of the April 1 council meeting; no new ordinance or enforcement action was voted on at the meeting. Council members and staff acknowledged the concerns and flagged zoning updates during the comprehensive-plan rewrite as an opportunity to address placement rules.
