City staff propose tighter rules for vape, tobacco and alcohol retailers; council asks for strictest options

City planning and legal staff told the City Council at a work session they will prepare zoning and licensing amendments aimed at clarifying how vape, tobacco and alcohol retail businesses are classified and regulated, and asked the council for policy direction on stringent options including percentage-of-sales caps, separation distances and staffing requirements.

The proposed changes respond to growth in specialty vape and tobacco shops and enforcement challenges, staff said. "We want your feedback as well, not just we have some ideas and solutions here," Jason Van Essen, with the city's planning staff, told the council. Gary Guidelock, assistant city attorney, said state law more tightly regulates alcohol than tobacco and that state preemption limits the city's authority: "When I say strenuously, I mean, they sort of occupy the field, and they preempt us from a lot of things."

Why it matters: Council members and staff said residents have complained about concentrations of vape/tobacco retailers, aggressive window signage, and nuisance activity near some stores. Council members asked for the most stringent…