SURFSIDE BEACH, SC (WMBF) – The town of Surfside Beach cast the first of two votes on Tuesday to be able to issue business licenses to smoke and vape shops.
“It doesn’t bother us because we are doing very well here,” Ace Tobacco and Vape employee Kristen R. said.
She said they’re not concerned about the town potentially allowing more vape shops in the area and that they treat their customers good which keeps them coming back.
“They stay with us every day, all day long, so if more places are coming in, we still have everyone,” the employee said.
The town imposed a moratorium on issuing additional business licenses to smoke shops last year because there were no zoning regulations to govern them.
Surfside Beach Mayor Robert Krouse said they’re working to find a balance between allowing businesses to open while ensuring they protect the ‘family beach’ atmosphere.
“These are legal products, so we’re not trying to make it so that you can’t sell legal things. But we just want to make sure that it isn’t in our downtown area and prominent on Business 17. That’s basically what we’re looking at,” Mayor Krouse said.
The town passed an ordinance on first reading on Tuesday that would allow business licenses to be issued to smoke shops, but they can’t be on the town’s frontage road on 17.
They also can’t be within 1,000 feet of daycares, churches, libraries, public parks or playgrounds, and other regulated cannabis or smoke shops.
Businesses that WMBF News spoke with said they were surprised the town is considering this step, but they also said it’s complicated with those parameters.
Mayor Krouse said he hasn’t heard any complaints so far.
“We haven’t heard anything from the business community. I mean, no one’s you know, clamoring to open up here. Nobody’s complaining about what’s going on. We’ll see what happens once this gets fully passed,” he said.
Krouse said he doesn’t think things will look much different after the measure passes, but added they don’t want to prevent businesses from selling legal items.
“There has not been a lot of demand or interest that I know of from the business community. I don’t think it’s going to change, but if somebody does apply, we’ll go through the rules,” Krouse said.
Councilman Dusty McCracken said they hope to have the ordinance approved and implemented by July 22.
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