The Aurora City Council moved forward with the creation of a socioeconomic impact business permit intended to space out high-risk businesses.

Councilmembers unanimously approved sending the permit question to a future regular meeting, where it would go to an official vote.

It is designed to prevent the overconcentration of high-risk businesses that “disproportionately target diverse, lower-income communities,” according to council documents.

“High-risk” businesses are those associated with negative health or financial impacts, especially when clustered together, Trevor Vaughn, the city’s licensing manager, said.

This includes vape and smoke shops, liquor stores, rent-to-own stores and pawn shops.

Currently, Aurora has 85 liquor stores, 59 vape or smoke shops, 14 pawn shops and 131 convenience stores that sell alcohol or tobacco, according to council documents.

The permit was initially proposed to the council last year and then removed from the agenda before formal consideration. It will now go through the council consideration process again.

If the permit is approved at a future regular meeting, it would require high-risk businesses to be 300 feet away from each other, 1,000 feet away from extended occupancy motels, 2,000 feet from businesses of the same type and 500 feet from major transit stations.

Existing businesses would be grandfathered in and issued an automatic permit at no cost initially. After that, and for new businesses, the license would cost $138 every other year.

Businesses would also have to follow certain operational standards defined by Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, an approach that tries to prevent the overconcentration of high-risk businesses in dilapidated shopping centers.

Current businesses would also have to follow those standards or could get their permits revoked, Vaughn said Monday.

No councilmembers expressed opposition to the license in Monday’s meeting.

Mayor Mike Coffman said it’s “very important” to approve the licensing system.

“The concentration of these businesses create a predatory economic environment that exploits the poor and expands blight,” Coffman said.

Councilmembers are expected to cast an official vote on the matter at the next regular meeting.