Villa Rica planning commission tables text amendment on smoke, vape and dispensary rules

The City of Villa Rica Planning and Zoning Commission on an unidentified meeting date opened a public hearing on TA0425, a proposed text amendment to the zoning code that would add definitions and expand proximity limits for smoke shops, vape shops, tobacco stores and medical marijuana dispensaries, and then voted to table the item until the next meeting.

The proposal, presented by Planning and Zoning Administrator Sean Danwoods, would add new definitions to Section 13.01 and change Section 8.22 to prohibit rezoning properties within the Central Business District to allow those uses, extend the distance that those stores must be set back from “sensitive groups” and increase minimum separation between same uses.

Commissioners and staff said the change aims to address a recent influx of proposed vape and smoke shops. Danwoods told the commission the draft would, among other changes, extend the existing…