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Henrico board adopts zoning limits on vaping and recreational‑substance retailers after staff inspections
Summary
The Henrico County Board of Supervisors voted Dec. 16 to amend the zoning ordinance to restrict recreational‑substance and vape stores to certain commercial and industrial districts and require provisional‑use permits, citing hundreds of inspections and enforcement actions and concerns about youth access.
The Henrico County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 16 adopted an amendment to the county zoning ordinance that defines "recreational substances retail store," limits those businesses to B‑1 and M‑3 districts, and requires a provisional‑use permit and public hearing for locations.
Planning staff said the change also bars these stores from locating within 1,000 feet of a school and 2,000 feet of a religious institution, daycare center, public park or an existing recreational‑substance retail store. Andrew Newby, planning staff presenter, said the ordinance is one part of a larger county effort and described a multi‑department task force that conducted inspections and enforcement actions across the county.
"Staff assembled the task force," Newby said, noting twice‑monthly work‑session meetings and daily coordination among finance, planning, community revitalization, building inspections, the commonwealth's attorney and public safety divisions. Newby told the board the task force had completed more than 80 store inspections in recent weeks and issued hundreds of notices of violation.
Board members framed the measure as a public‑health and youth‑safety step. "I think we all agree that this is a public health crisis," said Reverend Nelson, who highlighted examples of underage purchases and called for using "every tool in the toolbox" to stop illegal sales to young people.
The planning commission recommended approval after an 11/13/2025 hearing; the county manager and the director of planning concurred with the board recommendation. No members of the public spoke at the meeting on the item. After a motion by Supervisor Cooper, seconded and recorded by the clerk, the board voted in favor and the ordinance was adopted.
The county said public relations would provide additional information on the task force's work and materials for parents and community members following board action. The ordinance directs future permit reviews to consider the new distance and district rules and creates a provisional‑use hearing step for proposed businesses.
What happens next: The zoning change takes effect according to the county's ordinance rules and will apply to new applications; existing businesses and pending applications should consult county staff about grandfathering or compliance deadlines.
