Southaven, Mississippi, is a city that has experienced a large influx of smoke shops and vape stores in recent years. As a result, the City Planning and Development Director, Whitney Choat-Cook, brought up a proposal for an amendment to the city’s zoning ordinance during a board meeting. The amendment proposes to place more restrictions on where future vape shops and smoke shops may be located in the city.
The proposed amendment would allow smoke shops and vape stores only in zones C-3 and C-4, but only under a conditional use permit. Furthermore, the conditional use permit would state that there can only be one store inside a half-mile radius. The goal of the amendment is to prevent these stores from popping up in every retail space available.
The proposal has not yet been officially approved by the Southaven Board of Aldermen, but during Tuesday night’s board meeting, it seemed that all of the aldermen present were in favor of the idea.
Potential Impact of the Amendment
If the amendment is approved, it will have a significant impact on future smoke shops and vape stores in Southaven. The amendment would create more restrictions on where these stores can operate, which could potentially limit the number of new stores that open in the city. Additionally, the half-mile radius requirement would prevent these stores from clustering in one area and could potentially help to spread them out more evenly across the city.
However, it is important to note that existing smoke shops and vape stores would not be affected by the amendment. The amendment only applies to future stores that may open in the city.
Reasons Behind the Amendment
According to Choat-Cook, the amendment was proposed in response to the large influx of smoke shops and vape stores in the city. She believes that some limits need to be placed on the expansion of these stores in order to control their growth.
“It’s part of my job to look at trends, positively or negatively, for the city,” Choat-Cook said during the board meeting. “What we have seen is a large influx of smoke shops and vape stores. They’re going into every small tenant space we’ve got.”
She also noted that the influx of these stores is not a positive thing for the city, which is why she feels that some restrictions need to be put in place.
Potential Consequences of the Amendment
While the amendment could potentially limit the number of new smoke shops and vape stores in Southaven, it could also have some unintended consequences. For example, it could potentially drive these stores to neighboring cities that do not have the same restrictions in place. This could result in a loss of revenue for the city and could potentially lead to a more concentrated clustering of these stores in neighboring areas.
Another potential consequence of the amendment is that it could limit the availability of smoke shops and vape stores for residents of Southaven. If the number of stores in the city is limited, residents may have to travel further to find the products they need.
Conclusion
The proposed amendment to Southaven’s zoning ordinance would create more restrictions on where smoke shops and vape stores can be located in the city. If approved, the amendment would limit future stores to zones C-3 and C-4, and only under a conditional use permit. Additionally, the conditional use permit would state that there can only be one store inside a half-mile radius.
While the amendment could potentially limit the number of new smoke shops and vape stores in the city, it could also have some unintended consequences. However, during Tuesday night’s board meeting, it seemed that all of the aldermen present were in favor of the idea.