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Waterford adopts licensing, zoning limits for vape and smoking stores
Summary
The Waterford Township Board adopted Ordinance 2026-002 and related zoning changes to create a local licensing program for vape and smoking stores, cap licenses, impose spacing and hours-of-operation rules, and tie approvals to Planning Commission site-plan and special-approval review.
The Charter Township of Waterford on April 13 adopted a licensing ordinance and corresponding zoning changes to regulate retail establishments whose primary business is the sale of vape and smoking products.
The ordinance (2026-002) creates a five-stage review process that links Planning Commission Major Site Plan and Special Approval to final licensing by the Township Board; it creates an annual license that the Clerk issues only after conditions are met. The Board also adopted a companion fee schedule setting application, renewal and transfer fees at $500 each.
Development Services staff told trustees the local rules are a response to an increase in the number of retail outlets that focus on tobacco and nicotine products and to instances where stores sold those products to people under 21. Among the new local requirements, the ordinance: limits the number of licenses to 17 (subject to limited grandfathering for existing lawful stores); requires all operations to take place inside fully enclosed buildings (with limited curbside pickup allowed); sets minimum spacing of 500 feet from other vape stores and sensitive uses such as residences, schools and religious facilities; establishes operating hours (9 a.m.–8 p.m. Monday–Saturday; 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Sunday); requires commercial general liability insurance and state exemption certificates; and provides inspection and enforcement mechanisms, including suspension and revocation for repeated criminal convictions or civil-infraction findings tied to activity on the premises.
The accompanying zoning text amendment (2026-Z-004), also adopted by the Board, adds a new Section 2-606 to the Zoning Ordinance requiring Major Site Plan and Special Approval for vape and smoking stores in the districts where the use is permitted after special approval. The text amendment also prohibits product displays visible from the public right-of-way, bans drive-through operations and requires screening, landscaping and other site-design standards to be met. The zoning changes repeal the temporary moratorium on new applications for these stores.
Township officials and staff characterized the package as a layered regulatory approach that preserves local oversight while maintaining compliance with state and federal laws. The Board approved the licensing ordinance and zoning amendment by roll call vote; both measures carried unanimously.
The Board also adopted a resolution establishing the license fee schedule tied to the ordinance and the zoning changes.
What happens next: Applicants for new or relocated vape and smoking stores must secure Planning Commission Major Site Plan and Special Approval, submit a completed license application to the Clerk, satisfy administrative and staff review requirements, and obtain the Board’s final license decision. Approved licenses expire Dec. 31 each year and require renewal at least 30 days before expiration.
Speakers quoted or paraphrased here are from the April 13 meeting materials and presentations by Planning and Development staff before the Board.
