Penn Hills weighing hookah bar regulations after deadly shooting

Penn Hills may crack down on hookah bars after a June shooting at Ballers Hookah Lounge & Cigar Bar, a spot known to police for trouble, left two dead and seven wounded.

A zoning code amendment slated for consideration by the Planning Commission on July 25 would for the first time define these lounges and impose use-specific regulations.

The ordinance would apply to any establishment “devoted to, marketed as or designed for … the on-premises use of smoking hookah,” flavored tobacco inhaled from a large tabletop device, often in groups.

Manager Scott Andrejchak said the ordinance reflects an “all-of-the-above strategy” by the municipality to prevent violence. Before the incident, Penn Hills police had responded to two calls for nonfatal shootings at Ballers, according to Allegheny County Police.

“The ordinance reflects the seriousness of the incident and reflects the mayor and council’s attitude toward public safety,” Andrejchak said.

Existing hookah bars would not be impacted by the ordinance, but they would become nonconforming uses, according to Chris Blackwell, planning director for the municipality.

If a business operating as a nonconforming use closes for more than a year, it cannot reopen without getting up to code, Blackwell noted.

New hookah bars would not be permitted any closer than 1,200 feet from other hookah bars, sex-oriented businesses, places of worship, archery or shooting ranges, parks, recreation facilities, day care centers, libraries or schools.

The ordinance also details rules for alcoholic beverages, ventilation and lighting. No person under 21 would be permitted on the premises.

Furthermore, outdoor seating would be banned, as would remaining open past midnight.

The June 3 shooting at Ballers took place shortly before 3 a.m., according to county police, with two or more people having fired seven to 10 shots at the Laketon Road lounge.

Stephanie Stuart, 28, of McKeesport was found dead inside the club from a gunshot wound to the head. Nathaniel Smiley, 44, of Pittsburgh also was fatally shot in the head after getting into an argument, authorities have said.

A security guard, Chaz Jackson, 42, of Pittsburgh, was charged in connection with Stuart’s death. Police believe a different shooter killed Smiley.

Blackwell said the ordinance, if passed, may deter future hookah bars from establishing themselves in the municipality.

“A lot of times, just passing an ordinance is prohibitive,” Blackwell said.

Mayor Pauline Calabrese said the ordinance is an effort to eliminate loopholes in the zoning code, not scare away businesses.

“We’re not trying to impede any legitimate business or infringe on any current business,” Calabrese said. “We just want to button everything down and make sure we’re running a tight ship.”

The Penn Hills Planning Commission will meet at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The ordinance also is subject to a vote by council.