(Photo provided by Kevin L. Smith of The Cortland Voice).
The City of Cortland will look to update the administrative code to be in line with the new tobacco retail law that was passed at Tuesday’s Common Council meeting.
The city’s administrative code currently limits retail dispensaries of cannabis and cannabis-related products within zoning districts other than general business (GB-1) zoning.
An update in the code is intended to align with the new local law that limits the retail sale of tobacco products, electronic smoking devices and other products regulated by Adolescent Tobacco Use Prevention Act. The law also enforces the requirement of a local tobacco retail license on top of the state-issued license.
The law puts 1,000-foot buffer zones around all of the area’s schools, the Cortland County YMCA, YWCA Cortland and more. A map showing the buffer zones can be seen here.
Cortland mayor Scott Steve mentioned in the past there are 18 licensed tobacco sales points in the city. Of that total of sale points, four of them are not in the buffer zone. This includes Joe’s Kwik Mart, Smoker’s Choice and Family Dollar on Clinton Avenue, and the Speedway gas station on Port Watson Street.
Since those four establishments are out of the buffer zone, they are “grandfathered” into the law. He added that the city would implement a max number of licensed tobacco sales. Once a local business ceases operations, it will not be able to reapply for a license.
An amendment of the zoning provisions within the city’s administrative code requires referral and recommendation from the Cortland County Planning Board and the city’s Planning Commission.
The county planning board will review the proposed amendment at its meeting on Feb. 15, and the city planning commission is slated to review the proposal at its meeting on March 4.
The City of Cortland Common Council scheduled a public hearing on the projected changes to the administrative code during its meeting on March 5.
