Business moratorium on City Council agenda

Monday's City Council agenda includes an item to change city law to make it easier for new convenience stores to set up shop in San Bernardino.

Convenience stores are currently one of a dozen kinds of businesses that are banned from opening in San Bernardino under a moratorium law that also prohibits new tattoo parlors, cigarette shops and other businesses that San Bernardino officials consider to be nuisance magnets.

The proposed change would allow new convenience stores that have at least 20,000 square feet for a stand alone store or 10,000 square feet for stores that share a building with other businesses. New stores would not be allowed within 1,000 square feet of an existing convenience store.

The law would also