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Planning panel recommends special‑use permit for Lit Smokes tobacco and vape store at 101 W. Ogden
Summary
The Westmont Planning & Zoning Commission voted Nov. 12 to recommend approval of a special‑use permit for Lit Smokes, a tobacco and vape retail store at 101 W. Ogden, with a condition limiting tobacco sales through the property’s existing drive‑through; the village board will consider the license Dec. 11.
The Westmont Planning & Zoning Commission on Nov. 12 recommended that the Village Board approve a special‑use permit allowing Lit Smokes, operating under JARE Enterprises, to open a tobacco and vape retail store at 101 West Ogden.
Scott, village planning staff, told the commission the application was processed under transitional provisions because the petitioner filed before an August code amendment and that the proposed retail use meets the 1,000‑foot school buffer. "They are 1,035 feet away from Miller School to the south," Scott said, noting hours would be 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and the site provides about 35 parking spaces while the combined uses require nine.
Applicant Ahmad Judah described the shop as a separate Suite B adjacent to an existing dispensary in Suite A and said tobacco and vape products would be sold inside the store. He told commissioners that non‑tobacco items — "t‑shirts, lighters, a soda" — could be routed through the existing drive‑through, while age‑restricted tobacco and vape sales would require customers to come inside and present ID at the point of sale.
Commissioners pressed staff and the village attorney about enforcement options and whether the village should explicitly prohibit tobacco or vape sales through the drive‑through should state law change. Staff and the attorney said the commission may recommend reasonable zoning conditions and that the village also controls retail licensing.
After discussion, a commissioner moved — and another seconded — to recommend approval of PCC0172025 with an added restriction that tobacco not be sold through the drive‑through window; the commission then approved the recommendation by roll call (Peterson, Lynn, Simpson, Thomas and Chairperson Carmichael voting yes). Scott said the item and the licensing request are scheduled for the Village Board agenda on Dec. 11.
The commission’s recommendation to the board is advisory; the village board makes final decisions on licenses and zoning ordinations. If the board approves the special use and the village license, the petitioner will be required to comply with any conditions the board or licensing authority imposes.
