Depew Planning Board Recommends Special Use Permit for Vape Shop at 683 Decor Road

The Village of Depew Planning Board unanimously recommended that the Village Board grant a special use permit for a proposed vape shop at 683 Decor Road.

The recommendation came after the applicants representative, Sameh Al Harvey, described the proposal and said the business would move only "two feet" from its current location. Al Harvey said he operates Boys Smoke Shop and that the new space had been leased for about three years.

Board members and staff pressed for site housekeeping and parking fixes. Code enforcement and planning staff said the property owner must relocate a dumpster into an enclosure away from parking spaces and address handicap parking. The board also asked the property owner to remove items stored outside the building. Member Fedorowicz moved and Member Matuszak seconded the motion to recommend approval with those stipulations; the roll call vote recorded Yes from Members Soja, Matuszak, Fedorowicz and Chairman Maciejewski.

During public comment, neighbor Paul Sprott asked whether the applicant leased the building and how long the lease lasted; Al Harvey said the lease term is three years. Sprott also voiced health concerns about more vape shops opening in the village. The applicant and staff said state and local regulations apply and noted this location is not expanding a preexisting sign.

The boards recommendation does not itself grant the permit; the Village Board will take the final action at a later meeting. The Planning Boards motion included specific conditions on dumpster positioning, handicap parking and general site housekeeping to be addressed during permitting and before final approval.