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West Chester committee asks solicitor to draft limits on vape and tobacco retailers near schools, parks and bus stops
Summary
After residents described intrusive lighting and proximity concerns, the committee directed the solicitor to draft ordinance language limiting 'significant tobacco/vape retailers' near parks, schools, bus stops and residences, taking Downingtown's ordinance as an example.
Residents and council members asked the Public Safety committee on April 7 to pursue ordinance language to limit where vape and significant tobacco retailers can locate in West Chester.
Lola Birkenstock, who lives across from a retail vape shop, told the committee the store’s exterior lighting is intrusive and that the proximity of the shop to residences and transit stops harms neighborhood quality of life. "The lighting is intrusive resulting in lighting pollution... it glares in our windows," she said, urging zoning or permit controls for future retailers and better management of grandfathered shops.
Council members asked the solicitor to draft a proposal borrowing elements from Downingtown’s ordinance, which defines a "significant tobacco retailer" by the percentage of floor space devoted to tobacco/vape products and places 1,000‑foot distance restrictions from parks, schools and certain sensitive uses. Staff and several council members noted that 7‑Eleven‑style convenience stores would likely be excluded if they sell only a small amount of such product, and that other tailoring (hours, signage, and zone‑based restrictions) could regulate grandfathered businesses.
The committee instructed the solicitor to prepare draft language for review at a work session; no final code change was adopted at the meeting.
