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Frisco council directs staff to draft smoke- and vape-shop spacing ordinance with 1,000-foot buffer
Summary
After a public hearing, staff told council the proposed amendments would create a 1,000-foot separation for smoke and vape shops from schools and residences; council voted to direct staff to prepare an ordinance. Staff estimates about 41 existing businesses would become nonconforming.
Frisco staff presented proposed amendments on Jan. 6 to restrict smoke and vape shops with a 1,000-foot separation standard from other smoke shops and sensitive uses such as schools and residences.
John Lettler, director of development services, said staff worked with code enforcement and planning and followed state law when drafting the requirement. He explained measurement would be from the front door of a smoke shop when the shop is the primary use on the lot. "We followed state law...there'd be 41 noncompliant establishments," Lettler said, adding that the rules are intended to be forward-looking and not to shut down existing businesses immediately.
Council expressed concern for families and students near schools and asked staff to draft the ordinance. The council voted to direct staff to prepare the ordinance; the motion passed unanimously.
Key technical points from staff: the separation is measured from the smoke shop’s front door (not property line), primary-use definitions apply (more than 50% of product sales), and nonconforming status may be lost if an existing business remains closed beyond statutory periods (six months is the threshold discussed).
What’s next: Staff will prepare an ordinance for council consideration; affected businesses were notified by postcard as part of the outreach described in staff comments.
