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Planning commission reviews draft smoke‑shop zoning amendment with 500‑foot buffers and proposed hearing schedule
Summary
Planning staff presented a revised zoning‑ordinance amendment regulating smoke shops and tobacco stores. The draft narrows where the uses are allowed, adds distance buffers to sensitive sites, and includes a 1,000‑foot separation between similar uses; staff said county comments were incorporated and a public hearing is being scheduled.
The Chester City Planning Commission reviewed a revised zoning‑ordinance amendment on May 14 that would regulate smoke shops and tobacco stores by restricting where they may locate and adding distance buffers from sensitive sites.
Planning staff said the draft amendment designates which zoning districts may allow smoke shops and tobacco stores, and establishes a 500‑foot separation requirement from schools, family day‑care homes, childcare facilities, youth centers, community centers, recreation facilities, parks and churches. The draft also includes a 1,000‑foot minimum separation between smoke‑shop uses themselves.
"When we created those distances, we used what other communities have used," planning staff said, adding the commission tested the buffers against the city and noted that a 500‑foot buffer is roughly two typical city blocks.
Commissioners asked a series of clarifying questions about application of the buffers in the Central Business District, how existing bars or other legacy uses might be affected, and how enforcement would work. Staff said many of the detailed definitions were added after review by the county and the city solicitor to better align the amendment with the zoning code and to make the ordinance administrable.
Planning staff indicated a public‑hearing timeline is being prepared; the draft memo included a proposed schedule that would move the amendment to City Council for adoption after the public hearing. Staff cautioned that adoption in June could be aggressive because the public‑hearing and legal‑notification process takes time; the hearing may be scheduled in late June or moved to July depending on the public‑notice timeline.
Commissioners emphasized enforcement capacity and asked for careful placement of the buffers so the ordinance does not inadvertently preclude legitimate businesses or conflict with existing uses. Staff said enforcement follow‑up will be handled by the city’s zoning enforcement officer and that definitions and distances are designed to limit the clustering of smoke‑shop uses near sensitive uses such as churches and youth facilities.
Ending: Planning staff said the draft ordinance incorporates county comments and that staff will finalize the public‑hearing date and legal notices for council consideration.
