A moratorium on convenience store permits that has existed in Toledo, Ohio since last August has been extended until Sept. 15 in certain parts of the city, reported the Toledo Blade. City Council voted to extend the moratorium in many of Toledo’s central neighborhoods. The temporary ban on permits for those stores originally was originally set to expire on Aug. 16.
Attached to the extension council approved yesterday was an amendment that exempted areas not covered by the 11 nonprofit development corporations in the city.
The amendment was conceived as a compromise between the development corporations, which say Toledo’s convenience stores cause crime. The moratorium was originally created in response to complaints from the nonprofit development corporations stating that new convenience stores selling beer, wine and cigarettes would contribute to crime in the central city. Despite this, several of the city’s councilmen said this is likely the last extension of any kind on the moratorium.
“Now it’s an extension. But after [Sept. 15], it becomes a ban, and we can get into legal trouble with that,” Councilman Mike Craig told newspaper.
Additionally, the city’s plan commissions voted on July 12 to recommend that the council add to the zoning code spacing requirements for convenience stores, prohibiting them from operating within 2,000 feet of one another, and within 1,000 feet of a school, public park, public library, child day-care center or any other place for the activities of minors.
The city currently requires a special use permit for all stores less than 5,000 square feet that sell groceries.
