Resident urges ordinance committee to curb proliferation of smoke and vape shops

A resident who identified herself as Cheryl told the ordinance committee she would like the city to revisit rules aimed at limiting the proliferation of smoke and vape shops and offered to help draft language.

"I would like the ordinance committee to take this topic up," Cheryl said, asking the committee to reconsider an item previously sent to the zoning commission.

Committee members discussed whether the appropriate tool is a zoning regulation or a city ordinance. Staff and legal counsel told the committee they had reviewed state law that may assist local action and said they would share the statute citation with the commenter. The committee noted other Connecticut municipalities have used zoning overlays and buffer distances from schools and places of worship to limit new shops.

One member said zoning commissions typically handle location and use rules. Another urged including a public-health preamble similar to examples in other towns to frame the purpose of any regulation. The police and planning staff said enforcement would rely on permitting, permitting revocation for repeat violators, and interagency compliance checks.

The committee voted to ask the city council to refer the proposal to the planner and the zoning commission for development of a zoning regulation and to coordinate with the health district and the mayor’s task force on opioid prevention.

The committee did not adopt a regulation at the meeting; members asked staff and counsel to prepare draft language and background materials for future referral and public hearings.