BRENHAM PLANNING & ZONING TO DISCUSS ADDING RESTRICTIONS FOR VAPE & SMOKE SHOPS

  

The Brenham Planning and Zoning Commission will hold workshop discussion on Monday regarding potentially amending city code to restrict new vape shops and smoke shops.

Currently, the businesses are considered general retail use in existing commercial zoning districts and do not have specific definitions or limits on how or where they operate. 

City staff has researched the regulations of other cities in Texas and is presenting a set of proposed text amendments to the commission for debate. 

The amendments include restricting the uses of smoke and vape shops to the B-2 Commercial, Research and Technology District and the Industrial District, meaning those businesses would not be allowed in the B-1 Local Business and Residential Mixed Use District or in the downtown districts that include the B-3 Historical Central Business District or B-4 Neighborhood Business District.  Existing smoke and vape shops in those districts would become legally nonconforming.

Lounge uses, like cigar or hookah lounges, would not be affected by the proposed regulations since they are meant for consumption by adults 21 and older and are not specifically for the sale of e-cigarettes or tobacco products.

The amendments would also require smoke and vape shops to be located at least 300 feet from single-family residential uses and 1,000 feet from public and private schools, day care centers, public parks, religious facilities, public hospitals, and other vape shops currently in operation.

The proposals, along with any recommendations made by the commission, will go before the city council at a later date.

In regular session, commissioners will consider a request from Cornelia Wilder to approve a replat for 0.514 acres located at 409 West Alamo Street.  The property owner wishes to replat the existing lot into two to develop a second single-family home.  City staff recommends approval of the replat.

The commission will meet Monday at 5:15 p.m. at Brenham City Hall.

Click here to view the agenda packet for Monday's meeting.