The Greer City Council held its March meeting on Tuesday night, tackling a short agenda for the evening.
Council had one item of new business that required a vote, an ordinance that would change the zoning classification for three parcels located on Pleasant Drive and S Buncombe Road. The applicant, TMC Development, plans to build a single-family detached subdivision on the 26 acres featuring 72 residential lots.
The Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the rezone, and Council approved it to move forward with a vote of 4-2. Council member Charles Lander and Mayor Rick Danner voted in opposition, and Council member Mark Hopper was absent. The Council will hear this request once more before final approval.
Council only had one other item of new business to discuss, a conversation on vape and smoke shops brought forward by Council member Karuiam Booker. While there was no action taken, Council did discuss the rise of smoke shops in the area and whether or not the city should consider additional regulations for these stores.
“Recently, I’ve raised concerns about the increasing number of vape and smoke shops opening throughout our community,” Booker said. “I believe we must pay attention to how this trend impacts the character, health and safety of our neighborhoods, especially when the businesses are located near schools, parks, places where we worship and where young people gather.”
A map of vape and smoke shops in Greer presented to Council on Tuesday. Each red triangle represents a shop.
Booker shared a map with the Council showing various vape shops throughout the city. The map shows 13 different stores, primarily concentrated along the Highway 29 corridor. He brought up concerns regarding their visibility in the community, as well as how they appear to target low-to-moderate income areas.
According to city planning staff, unlike liquor stores, smoke shops are currently classified as regular retail stores in Greer. While nothing was voted on tonight, some potential future actions for Council could be enforcing stricter signage rules or requiring smoke shops to be a certain distance from various other land uses, such as schools.
“I believe it’s appropriate for us to review our zoning and local regulations and determine whether additional safeguards or spacing requirements should be considered,” Booker said. “I’m not here to legislate morality or say you should or shouldn’t do it. I’m saying that the loophole of them being able to classify as retail stores should be considered and stopped.”
Greer City Council will meet again on March 24, at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall. For more information on the Council, visit its website.
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