ANDERSON — By a unanimous vote, Anderson City Council has approved an ordinance to limit the opening of new gas stations and smoke shops in Anderson.
The council passed the ordinance through all three readings Thursday.
Intersect Inc., a local nonprofit that advocates against tobacco use and drug abuse, and the Minority Health Coalition of Madison County supported the ordinance, specifically because it limits signage touting tobacco products at convenience stores and smoke shops.
Under the ordinance, the Anderson Plan Commission can deny a special exception for the opening of a gas station within one mile of an existing gas station.
“This request is the result of numerous questions, concerns, and public comments in recent months about the proliferation of these businesses and facilities in Anderson,” the Anderson Municipal Development staff wrote in a report.
If a filling station has not operated for one year it will still be considered active unless all pumps, canopies and signage are removed.
“Once a filling station is inactive, the special exception is terminated and all canopies, fuel pumps and fuel tanks must be completely removed,” the ordinance reads.
Tim Stires, deputy director of Anderson Municipal Development, previously said 12 new gas stations opened in Anderson in the past year.
The ordinance also addresses the location of new smoke and vape shops.
“Along Scatterfield Road, smoke or vape shops shall not be located closer than 1,500 feet in relation to a school, church, or another smoke or vapor shop,” the ordinance reads.
In all other areas of Anderson, a new shop can’t be located within one mile of an existing smoke shop and cannot be closer than 1,000 feet to a church or school.
All proposed smoke and vape shops will require a special exception in business and industrial zoning areas.
The ordinance defines smoke and vape shops as any business where at least 25% of floor space is used to display and sell cigarettes, cigars, e-cigarettes, pipes, smoking tobacco, vape cartridges or chewing tobacco.
Zoning administrator Micah Mitchell said the change will limit window and outdoor advertising of smoking products to 30% of the available space.
In answer to questions about enforcement of the new ordinance, assistant city attorney Tim Lanane said the city could indeed enforce restrictions on signage and window advertising.
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