A proposed tobacco shop near Gaslight Square in Jeffersontown has been banned from opening. A Jeffersontown city government official said the location violates a new city ordinance.
Trippy’s, a Louisville-based tobacco shop specializing in CBD products, vaping devices and other smoking accessories, received a license from the Louisville City Council in June to sell tobacco products at 10305 Taylorsville Road.
However, months earlier, the Jeffersontown City Council had passed an ordinance prohibiting tobacco shops or stores selling “electronic smoking devices” from operating within 1,000 feet of a property boundary that includes a park, daycare center, religious institution, sports facility, or similar.
Trippy’s new location would have been directly across from Jeffersontown United Methodist Church — well within the 1,000-foot limit. The property is also less than 1,000 feet from Korean Saehan Church of Louisville and Angel House Child Development Center.
Scott Thompson, director of Jeffersontown Code Enforcement, said the company attempted to begin “unpermitted construction” on the building until he arrived on site.
“They never contacted our office about anything,” Thompson said. “We sent a formal letter to the owner via USPS on July 26 stating that the location was not a place for a tobacco shop to operate.”
Trippy staff did not respond to numerous requests for comment.
When asked why Louisville Metro granted a license for this site, the city’s planning office responded that it “works diligently to ensure that projects meet the standards of both the City of Louisville and, where relevant, the self-governing cities. It is unfortunate that this situation has arisen.”
Reach reporter Eleanor McCrary at [email protected] or at @ellie_mccrary on X, formerly known as Twitter.
