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Cleveland council discusses options for regulating vape shops; staff recommends workshop
Summary
City staff told council there are about eight dedicated vape retailers in Cleveland and outlined options—zoning restrictions, distance rules from schools/churches/parks, or use‑based permitting. Council agreed to hold a community workshop to gather feedback before drafting ordinances.
Councilmembers on March 17 discussed growing community concern about vape shops located within walking distance of schools and near neighborhoods. Emilio Navarro, director of community and economic development, told the council staff had benchmarked other cities and found few municipal regulations in place; he outlined two principal approaches: (1) zoning changes to treat vape shops as a distinct use with location‑based controls, or (2) business‑regulation tools (permits, licensing or council waivers) that could impose distancing requirements similar to the city’s alcohol rules.
Navarro said staff’s count shows roughly eight dedicated vape retailers in Cleveland and noted that any new ordinance would normally affect only future businesses (existing shops would likely be nonconforming unless vacated). Councilwoman Rachel Hall and other members said many constituent calls focus on proximity to schools and asked staff to convene a public workshop to gather parent and community feedback before drafting any ordinance. Staff also cautioned that future state legislative changes could affect local ability to regulate these uses.
Council did not vote on an ordinance; direction to staff was to plan community engagement and return with options informed by public feedback and legal review.
