Glendale puts off review of apartment smoking restrictions for one month

Glendale officials have again postponed discussion of restricting smoking in individual apartment units, citing the need to further vet the proposals and respond to public inquiries, a city spokesman said.

The City Council had been scheduled to review the possible smoking restrictions Tuesday night at City Hall, but city spokesman Tom Lorenz said the city manager’s office decided to table the discussion for 30 days to give officials more time to respond to public inquiries and feedback.

Council members had already postponed discussion of the proposals by one week because they wanted a full dais.

Options include banning smoking in all individual apartments or limiting smoking-permitted units to specific sections of a building. Apartment owners could get a grace period of five years to implement the changes, according to a city report.

The restrictions would bolster Glendale’s current ban on smoking in common areas and private balconies of multi-unit buildings.

But even after the delays, the City Council could decide to maintain the status quo.

In addition to the apartment-related issue, the council is also scheduled to discuss loosening restrictions on smoking in outdoor dining areas. Last year, a similar proposal was shot down.

-- Jason Wells, Times Community News

Follow Jason Wells on Google+ and on Twitter: @JasonBretWells