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Forney council approves ordinance creating cigar and hookah lounge definitions; limits locations and requires ventilation or standalone buildings
Summary
The council adopted Ordinance No. 25-02 to add definitions for 'cigar lounge' and 'hookah lounge' and to make them conditional uses in general retail commercial and mixed-use zoning; Planning & Zoning recommended the change unanimously and excluded light industrial districts.
The Forney City Council on Tuesday approved an ordinance that adds definitions for cigar lounges and hookah lounges to the city’s comprehensive zoning ordinance and makes those uses permissible only by conditional use permit in general retail commercial and mixed-use districts.
City staff introduced the item during the public hearing on zoning amendments. City Planning staff read the proposed definition for “cigar lounge”: “an establishment that derives more than 50% of its quarterly gross revenue from the sale of cigars for consumption on the premises by customers; the cigar lounge does not allow individuals under the age of 21 to enter the premises and does not have a permit or license to sell alcoholic beverages, but may serve food and nonalcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises by customers.” The proposal requires either a stand‑alone building or a separate air‑handling/ventilation system that prevents smoke migration into other occupiable spaces under the International Building Code.
Staff told the council the Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended allowing the uses by conditional use permit in general retail commercial and mixed-use districts and not including the light industrial district in the allowance. No public speakers addressed the item during the hearing.
Councilmember Chambers moved to approve the public hearing item; Councilmember Helm seconded the motion. The ordinance was read into the record as Ordinance No. 25-02, described as an amendment to Ordinance No. 1085 (the City of Forney comprehensive zoning ordinance) to add the new definitions, update the use charts, amend relevant development standards, and provide penalties and an effective date. The council voted to approve the ordinance; the motion passed and the transcript records “Motion passes.” The meeting did not record a roll call tally in the public portion of the transcript.
Why it matters: The ordinance establishes a regulatory path for businesses that want to offer onsite cigar or hookah consumption while requiring measures intended to protect neighboring occupancies and customers under 21. Conditional use permitting will allow the city to review each proposal’s ventilation, building configuration, and operational controls on a case‑by‑case basis.
The amendment will be codified as part of the city’s zoning ordinance and will take effect as provided by the ordinance’s effective-date language.
No implementation timetable for conditional-use permitting was set at the meeting; staff will follow the city’s usual application and notice procedures for conditional-use requests.
