NEW ROCHELLE, NY (October 9, 2025) — The New Rochelle City Council is set to hold public hearings on proposed changes to zoning rules for smoke shops, aiming to align with updated state guidelines on distance measurements from schools, according to an agenda for the Committee of the Whole session Wednesday.
The proposed ordinance would amend Section 331-115.6 of Chapter 331, Zoning, of the city code, revising the language on distancing measurements to state that “all distancing measurements shall be calculated in accordance with the procedures set forth by the New York State Office of Cannabis Management.”
City staff recommended the change to more closely align with procedures from the Office of Cannabis Management, which recently revised its assessment of adult-use retail dispensary location distance requirements relative to schools. Under the original process established in 2022, the agency measured the 500-foot proximity in a straight line from the center of the nearest school entrance to the center of the dispensary’s main entrance, only considering entrances regularly used by patrons and only when the dispensary and school were located on the same street or road.
The revised standard requires measuring a straight line from the dispensary entrance to the nearest point on the school property line, regardless of whether they are on the same road. This new interpretation significantly expands the areas considered off-limits.
The amendment stems from New York State’s legalization of adult-use cannabis on March 31, 2021, through the Marijuana Regulation & Taxation Act. The City of New Rochelle did not opt out of allowing adult-use cannabis retail dispensaries or on-site consumption licenses by the December 31, 2021, deadline.
On January 21, 2025, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 2025-19, which amended the zoning code regarding tobacco smoke shops, adult-use cannabis dispensaries and adult-use cannabis consumption lounges. That legislation allowed tobacco smoke shops by special permit; OCM-licensed cannabis dispensaries in most zones that allow retail; distancing requirements similar to those prescribed by OCM; and hours of operation linked to those prescribed for liquor stores and bars by the New York State Liquor Authority.
Staff also recommended that the council direct a public hearing be scheduled for October 15, 2025, on the proposed zoning code amendment pursuant to Section 331-146, and refer it to the Planning Board and the Westchester County Planning Board; declare itself lead agency for environmental review under the State Environmental Quality Review Act, with a Short Environmental Assessment Form attached; and approve the zoning amendment pending the outcome of the public hearing and responses from the Planning Board and Westchester County Planning Board.
The agenda also includes public hearings on a local law to establish a vacant storefront registry program, amending Section 250-2 of Chapter 250, Property Maintenance, and Section 133-1 of Chapter 133, Fees, to address vacant premises; and a local law opting in to Article 6-A of New York State Real Property Law, known as the Good Cause Eviction Law, by adding Chapter 132 to the city code.
Other items on the agenda include a presentation by the City of New Rochelle Communications Office from John Jones, communications office director; a resolution reappointing Clarence Stanley Jr. to the Board of Assessment Review; ordinances amending parking regulations on Main Street, Church Street and Cedar Street; a resolution authorizing submission of an application for a New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Building Infrastructure Grant program for improvements at the New Rochelle Municipal Marina; an ordinance accepting a $20,160 grant from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee for the police department and amending the 2025 budget; an ordinance accepting a $5,000 Economic Mobility Leadership Institute Mini-Cohort Grant and amending the 2025 budget, sponsored by Mayor Yadira Ramos-Herbert; and a resolution authorizing submission of an application for a New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Certified Local Government program to support preparation of updated historic design guidelines.
The session is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. in the 1st Floor Council Conference Room at City Hall, with public hearings at 7 p.m., followed by citizens to be heard and adjournment.
Upcoming meetings listed include the October Regular Legislative Meeting on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, at 6:15 p.m.; November Committee of the Whole Session on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at 3:45 p.m.; and November Regular Legislative Meeting on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at 4:00 p.m.
This article was drafted with the aid of Grok, an AI tool by xAI, under the direction and editing of Robert Cox to ensure accuracy and adherence to journalistic standards.