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Petersburg council tables vape-shop zoning change, asks Berkeley Group to weigh in
Summary
After staff presented a text amendment to define 'vape shop' and tighten enforcement, the council voted to table the ordinance until after members meet with the Berkeley Group; the discussion also included police enforcement actions reported by the vice mayor.
The Petersburg City Council on Dec. 11 tabled a zoning text amendment that would define "vape shop" and clarify where such retail uses are permitted, saying they want the Berkeley Group’s pending draft ordinance to be incorporated before adoption.
Staff told the council the amendment introduces a definition for "nicotine vapor products" drawn from state code and recasts "recreational substance retail" so that a vape shop is any establishment whose operation involves selling those products. Planning staff said the change seeks to make enforcement easier by simplifying the definition.
Councilman Jones urged caution and proposed a substitute motion to pause action until council members meet the Berkeley Group and review its draft. "We don't wanna rush this thing," Jones said, arguing additional items such as purpose and intent, operating hours, mandatory licensing and enforcement language should be in the final ordinance.
A different council member said delaying risks letting more vape shops establish "vested rights" under the current ordinance and urged the council to take incremental action now and amend later if needed. Vice Mayor Hill thanked the police department for recent enforcement activity, saying, "I do want to thank them ... I think there were 4 arrests," and noted enforcement experiences should inform ordinance language.
Councilman Jones's substitute motion to table the text amendment until after the Berkeley Group meetings carried on a roll call vote; Council member Cuthbert voted no. The council directed staff to bring the item back after members have had the Berkeley Group briefing and additional input.
Next steps: staff will coordinate incorporation of Berkeley Group input and return the revised text amendment for council consideration in January.
