Oak Forest planners recommend allowing tobacco lounges under zoning rules

The Oak Forest Planning & Zoning Commission voted March 4 to forward a positive recommendation to the City Council for a zoning text amendment that would allow tobacco lounges when they meet state requirements for retail tobacco stores, Community Planner Hunter Heyman said.

The commission's recommendation follows staff reports that Illinois state law (Smoke Free Illinois) generally bans smoking in enclosed spaces but provides an exemption for retail tobacco stores. Heyman told commissioners that to qualify an establishment must derive more than 80% of gross income from tobacco product sales, be a freestanding structure and cannot hold liquor or restaurant licenses; tobacco lounges and hookah bars could meet the retail-tobacco definition if those conditions are met.

The matter drew no public comment at the Planning & Zoning meeting. Commissioner Guisinger moved to approve a positive recommendation and Commissioner LaRoche seconded; the roll call vote carried 5-1 with two commissioners absent. The Commission directed staff to forward the recommendation to City Council, where the item was placed on the March 10 agenda.

If the council approves a text amendment, prospective tobacco-lounge operators would still need to meet the requirements noted by staff, including the state-law threshold for retail tobacco income and the prohibition on liquor or restaurant licensing. The next procedural step is City Council consideration on March 10.