Warrenton planning commission recommends denial of tobacco and vape shop site plan amid lease dispute

The Warrenton City Planning and Zoning Commission on Jan. 2 recommended denial, by a 7-0 vote, of Site Plan 179 — an application to open a 2,665-square-foot Warrenton Tobacco and Vapor store at 1001 North Highway 47.

The commission's action was driven by questions about who holds legal rights to the property and by inconsistent contact information on the application. The recommendation to deny will be forwarded to the Warrenton Board of Aldermen for consideration at its Jan. 21 meeting.

City staff member John summarized the application, saying the site covers about 0.41 acres in a C-2 General Commercial District and would reuse the existing building that formerly operated as a convenience/gas store. The plan calls for 11 parking spaces and updates to landscaping, including nine trees and 23 shrubs, to meet current code, staff said.

Donna Bunge, who said she is the executor for her mother Barbara Hartnagle and…