Mayor and Aldermen requested staff address concerns regarding the proliferation of convenience stores occurring in our community.  As part of this process, staff analyzed data, explored best practices, conducted a community survey with more than 1,000 respondents, convened four public meetings (two on February 28, 2019 and two on April 18, 2019) and met individually with stakeholders to develop the following revisions to the existing Zoning Ordinance:

• Define a convenience store as a retail establishment of up to 5,000 square feet of floor area that primarily sells food products, beverages, candy, tobacco items, newspapers and magazines, limited personal, household and car care items, and that may include limited on-site food preparation;

• Establish conditions for convenience stores to include:

  • If the convenience store is located on a street classified as a collector, it must be 500 yards from another convenience store as measured by a straight line from the nearest point on the property line of the use to the nearest point of the same use;

  • The convenience store shall close from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.; and

  • Where a collector street and arterial street intersect, the 500-yard distance requirement shall not apply;

• Define package store as a retail establishment primarily engaged in the licensed sales of unbroken original containers of alcoholic beverages, including liquor sales, for off-premise consumption. This term does not include a wine specialty shop or the accessory sales of beer and wine;

• Clarify that convenience stores would not be considered grocery, confectionery, bakery, pastry shop and similar neighborhood service facilities; and

• Clarify that convenience stores would not have package alcohol sales of beer and wine when accessory to other principal retail use.

Once Mayor and Aldermen approve this amendment, it will ensure these conditions are in place while NewZO is under consideration. Please note, NewZO will include a definition for convenience store and the same use conditions as presented in this amendment.

Approval