Avondale Estates, GA — The Avondale Estates City Commission will meet on Wednesday, May 26, at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom. On the agenda for the regular meeting is an extension of a moratorium on new vape shops.

To join the Zoom meeting click here or call into the meeting by phone by dialing 301.715.8592 and use webinar ID: 838 7197 5072.

The City Commission implemented the moratorium on vape shops on Nov. 25, 2020. The temporary moratorium lasted for six months and prevented smoke and vape shops from opening.

Fardeen Sayani plans to open the tobacco and vape shop at 2760 E. College Ave., between Jax Package and Stitch and Sew. He plans to sell CBD products, vape products and tobacco products like cigarillos and raw products.

The action followed the approval of a conditional use permit for a tobacco and vape shop. The permit was approved at the regular meeting on Nov. 23, 2020, by a 3-2 vote.

At the Nov. 23 meeting, the board members raised concerns about the shop opening and all acknowledged that it wasn’t their ideal small business to be opening in Avondale.

The resolution adopted Nov. 25 does not allow the city manager to issue any new business license to a smoke/vape shop until May 31, 2021.

At the Nov. 18 work session, City Attorney Stephen Quinn said that moratoriums are allowed. He said they can be issued due to an oversaturation of a particular type of business or while a city is developing a new zoning and comprehensive plan and don’t want any development during that time.

City Manager Patrick Bryant said at the Nov. 18 work session that the City Commission cannot deny a conditional use permit based on desirability.

The City Commission is in the process of rewriting the zoning code. The board has held multiple conversations about the zoning code and discussed topics such as planned unit development, development of community impact, accessory dwelling units and dissolving the Architecture Review Board.

As part of the process, the draft of the zoning code was given to the city’s Planning and Zoning Board for their feedback. The PZB has recommended the draft zoning code for approval and the City Commission will discuss the next steps during the work session.

Also on the work session agenda, the City Commission will discuss potential changes to the open container entertainment district ordinance to allow for open alcohol containers in specified areas.

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