Planning commission begins major zoning rewrite: smoke/vape shops, gas stations, clinics, salvage yards and driveway rules under review

The Anderson City Planning Commission spent the bulk of its meeting discussing draft changes to the zoning ordinance (Resolution 1-25 / Ordinance 21-25) that would add or tighten rules for gas stations, smoke and vape shops, convenience stores, junk/salvage facilities, clinics and certain adult‑oriented businesses, and would create new limits on residential driveways and parking surface materials.

Staff and the city attorney presented draft language that would:

- Define a convenience store and limit the proportion of floor area devoted to tobacco and vaping products (draft starting point: 25 percent, taken from a Jeffersonville ordinance). - Require smoke shops and vape shops to obtain special exception approval through the Board of Zoning Appeals, and to be spaced apart (proposed examples: no closer than 1,500 feet along South Scatterfield Road; 1 mile apart elsewhere) and set minimum distances from schools and churches (1,000–1,500 feet discussed). - Limit temporary and window signage for smoke products (30% of windows/door display areas) and restrict feather flags and banners that advertise…