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Staff outlines zoning amendments to curb proliferation of smoke shops and similar uses
Summary
City staff said development services can verify certificate-of-occupancy uses and enforce zoning changes; the proposed amendments target retail smoke shops, liquor impact stores and credit access businesses to address local concentrations and grandfathered CO issues.
City staff briefed council on proposed zoning amendments intended to address the proliferation of retail smoke shops, liquor-impact stores and credit-access businesses and described enforcement steps to verify actual operating uses.
Staff said zoning and environmental services can cross-check certificates of occupancy against observed business activity and pursue compliance remedies, including enforcement and requiring owners to seek zoning changes or updated COs where uses are inconsistent. A council zoning commissioner noted several businesses had opened using general-merchandise COs and not been declared as smoke shops when they opened; staff said they could review and pursue corrective action.
Council members and staff discussed tools for retroactive verification and remedies. Staff recommended coordination between development services and environmental services for commercial zoning enforcement and said owners could be asked to change uses or seek appropriate zoning approvals if violations are found.
The item is a policy-level update; staff said formal zoning amendments and ordinance language would be drafted and returned to council for consideration and that enforcement checks could start promptly to verify existing CO status.
