Moundsville Council Takes Initial Step To Limit Gambling Parlors, Vape Shops
Trending
Moundsville council members unanimously approved City Attorney Thomas White to draft a revision to the current video lottery ordinance and create a new ordinance pertaining to vape shops to limit the number of each establishment in the city during Tuesday's meeting.
Council member Don DeWitt first proposed the revisions to the Limited Video Lottery Establishment Ordinance and the vape shop ordinance during a Thursday, March 25, city council meeting.
According to current Moundsville Planning and Zoning Code, establishments that offer or provide video gaming or lottery "shall not be located within 1,500 feet of any school zone, child care facility, place of worship or religious institution, park, community center or facility, library, recreation center or facility, public building or public area."
Video gaming or lottery establishments are also not permitted within 1,500 feet of another establishment that offers video gaming or lottery, per the Mounsdville zoning code.
The revised ordinance would require a new video lottery establishment to open within 180 days in the same location as a closed video lottery before a zoning change prevents the new video lottery from opening. The zone change time frame would be reduced from 365 to 180 days.
"There's really nowhere in the city right now that a new video lottery can locate due to our current zoning space requirements for them," City Manager Rick Healy noted. "What council has chosen to do is to take the time frame of one year to revert back and lose that zoning to 180 days to prevent a new video lottery from opening after one has closed."
The ordinance for vape shops would model the video lottery ordinance regarding the spacing requirements to prevent vape shops from opening within 1,500 feet of schools, religious institutions, community/public areas and other vape shops. The vape shop ordinance would also model the video lottery's 180-day zoning change time frame to prevent a new vape shop from opening where one closed.
"We hear a lot from residents about wanting new businesses in town, and we are always looking and talking to bring new businesses into town," Healy noted. "Unfortunately, there are businesses that serve a very small sector of people, and we would much prefer to be able to serve a lot of people. Our children in the city also continue to have issues with smoking, and these vape shop locations don't make that any better."
In other business, council members unanimously approved the final reading of an ordinance updating the city's stormwater management and comprehensive drainage plans. The update to the plans included how to handle hotspots in the city's stormwater system, which are areas that create and dispense more stormwater
"The updated plan just gives us an outline on how to correct and deal with hotspots," Healy said. "Hotspots are areas with more concrete and blacktop, such as a large parking lot. A parking lot will drive more stormwater to the drain lines than a city park, which has grass that soaks in water and lets it percolate."
Moundsville council members also unanimously approved the final reading of an ordinance naming the alley behind Smith Mart and the Moundsville Volunteer Fire Department "VFD Drive." Healy said the name change was motivated by the VFD’s frequent use of the alley to honor the department.
"The name change was done to honor the volunteer firemen who serve our city and the rest of the county when our department is not in use," Healy said.