GATESVILLE, Texas (KXXV) — Gatesville city leaders unanimously passed an ordinance last week placing stricter rules on vape and CBD shops, including new proximity requirements, background checks for owners, and expanded buffer zones around sensitive areas.
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Amanda Ashby owns Mandie's Hemp House in Gatesville, one of the only locally owned shops in the city. Despite being grandfathered in under the new ordinance, she said the additional requirements create serious obstacles.
"With this new ordinance, I can't move forward inside city limits. I can't be by residential housing. I can't be by those sensitive areas that they've expanded in addition. This truly is the most extensive city ordinance for smoke shops statewide," Ashby said.
Ashby said the cumulative effect of the new rules threatens the industry locally.
"To know that the city is trying to put more fees, more background checks, more stipulations on what's on your background in more sensitive areas, that pretty much puts a blanket over the whole industry in our town, and there's not going to be many of us left," Ashby said.
The decision came after community and council input during a review of the city plan months ago. City Manager Brad Hunt said the council wanted to re-establish the desired look for the city.
"We wanted to have guidelines for their operation, their legal operations, they're welcome to be in the city of Gatesville. We just wanna make sure that they're, you know, the spacing between them is appropriate to what the zoning ordinance allows plus what the public wants to see driving down Main Street," Hunt said.
Background checks will also be required of smoke shop owners, prohibiting any drug-related charges. Hunt said the city is being proactive as the state continues to work out regulations.
"The council agreed they wanted to regulate in terms of distance from each other or requirements for operations so we make sure that they don't turn into areas that are attracting problems or crime. They don't here in town at this point, but we want to make sure we're always ahead of that," Hunt said.
Hunt said the first few months will serve as an education period and are not intended to immediately result in citations.
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