A unanimous vote earlier this month provided Cedartown officials a chance to try and control where new convenience stores will go in the future, hoping to control the number of stores opening in the area with new rules in place.

Cedartown City Commissioners got no public comment during a public hearing prior to the change, and voted to approve the updates to zoning rules.

Now when a new convenience store opens, it’ll have to open with the C-2 zoning areas around the city. They also limit what kind of building a store can go in, and other areas like video gaming machines that are permitted within stores.

It also provides a more strict definition and rules for vape shops that wish to open within the city as well.

City Manager Edward Guzman explained that the limit to C-2 zoning applies to convenience stores and the gaming machines that are typically found within when new applications are being processed. It also defines the minimum square footage for a convenience store as well, between 4,000 square feet and 7,500 square feet.

He also noted that vape shops are now defined specifically in code, and will fall under the same rules as those who seek to apply for opening a liquor store.

That means new stores will have to meet requirements for their location, maintaining certain distances from schools and churches and quarterly reporting requirements.

No public comment was put forth in the public hearing for or against the measure before it was approved by the City Commission during their July 8 regular session.

The changes only apply to any new stores that want to open, not those currently in operation.

Changes in the zoning rules also brought to a close a moratorium on allowing new convenience stores and vape shops to open within the city limits.

A surge on both types of businesses opening in Cedartown over the past few years provided an opportunity for city officials to examine issues around these business types and make needed changes to the zoning rules.