ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Commissioners are expected to explore a plan to regulate where smoke shops are able to open in Orange County.
District 1 Commissioner Nicole Wilson has requested a discussion on zoning tobacco shops at Tuesday’s board meeting.
Currently, any establishment described as a tobacco shop is able to operate in all Orange County commercial districts.
The broad allowance has led to the placement of smoke shops close to public schools, including a location near Olympia High School and Chain of Lakes Middle School.
“We want (students) to be able to ride their bikes from their communities to their school, but we don’t want something along the way that may be a hazard to their health,” Wilson said.
Commissioners will hear a proposal for the county to evaluate a modification to the county’s zoning guide to include tobacco and vape shops.
The discussion would happen after Wilson said people in her district have raised concerns about compatibility and the appropriateness of smoke shops to youth-centered environments.
“It’s not just about tobacco shops,” Wilson said. “It’s actually about where they’re located and potentially the vulnerable young people in our community being close to those.”
A possible amendment could be similar to a measure passed by Alachua County in 2019, which prohibited the opening of smoke shops within 1,000 feet of a public school.
“When we think about our vulnerable populations and our children, we just have an obligation to specifically make their areas as safe as we can,” Wilson said.
The request from Wilson is for an initial discussion and for staff to expand research to explore an amendment.
The discussion will happen during Tuesday’s Board of County Commissioners meeting at 9 a.m.
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