City planning and police officials on the Public Safety Standing Committee described new zoning rules for vape and tobacco retailers and outlined enforcement challenges after police tied a large share of recent commercial robberies to vape shops.

Kevin Javonk, director of Planning and Development Review, said City Council in July adopted ordinance 2025-157 to amend the zoning code to regulate “retail sales of tobacco and hemp.” The ordinance defines such establishments by thresholds — for example, if 10% of floor area, signage, inventory or gross revenue is devoted to tobacco/hemp products — and makes them subject to conditional use permits, 1,000-foot spacing requirements from residential districts, schools, day cares, parks, libraries and places of worship, and a ban on drive-through service. Existing businesses that began operating before July 28 are legally nonconforming and may continue unless they lack a certificate of occupancy or stop operating for two years.

Richmond Police Department Chief Rick Edwards told the committee that the department audited the city and identified about 87 vape shops citywide. He said 34% of the city’s commercial robberies this year occurred at vape shops and that the robberies are often “takeover” style incidents in which masked assailants seize cash and products. Edwards said RPD executed 10 search warrants at vape shops this year, seizing more than 75 pounds of marijuana and 10 firearms; he added that several shops reopened after enforcement actions, complicating deterrence.

“Some of these products are packaged to resemble candy or other trusted brands, and there is little ID checking,” Edwards said, describing parental complaints about teens obtaining THC products. He urged residents to report suspected shops to the non‑emergency police number (646‑5100) or Crime Stoppers (780‑1000).

Javonk said enforcement tools include revoking certificates of occupancy for businesses that misrepresent their use, using the conditional use permit process for new locations, and coordinating with finance, the health department and code enforcement to assemble broader cases. He also said the zoning change allows staff and the Planning Commission to evaluate new uses and that an owner who transfers a previously established use generally remains legally nonconforming unless the use ceases for two years.

Committee members discussed additional options: expanding nuisance definitions in city code chapter 11 (article 5, section 11‑156) to incorporate qualifying events such as illegal firearms discharges, pursuing state-level changes such as higher taxes on liquid vape products, and seeking regional coordination with state police and neighboring jurisdictions. Councilwoman Trammell suggested the city research strengthening nuisance tools and possible taxation changes; members also noted the timing of statewide policy decisions after the coming election could affect next steps.

The committee and staff framed the problem as both a public-safety and public‑health issue, stressing the potential for youth exposure, the frequency of violent robberies at vape shops and the difficulty of closing or permanently shuttering noncompliant businesses that have certificates of occupancy.

Members asked staff and RPD to continue coordination across departments and with regional partners, and several asked for options the council could place on next year’s legislative agenda.