Proposal For Vape Shop With Drive-Thru Voted Down In Westmont

WESTMONT, IL — The Village of Westmont unanimously voted against a special use permit request to allow a tobacco vape shop with a drive-thru to open at 101 W. Ogden Ave.

The space had initially been intended for Wake-N-Bakery, a THC and cannabis coffee shop, but that project never moved forward. Petitioners JA RE Enterprises, LLC, d/b/a Lit Smokes, had requested the special use permit to allow their business to use the drive-thru for apparel and lighters. Customers would have been required to enter the store to buy vape and tobacco products, according to village documents.

At its Dec. 10 meeting, the Westmont Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved the special use permit request.

Petitioners were not present during the village board's Dec. 11 meeting as commissioners discussed potential challenges that could accompany a drive-thru at a vape shop.

"The confusing thing is the drive-thru," Trustee Bob Plowman said. "What are you getting out of a drive-thru...if you're getting mugs and T-shirts...it just seems weird to me."

Plowman commented, "It's also weird that something this important that we don't have representation to actually ask the questions. So, I'm not quite sure how invested they are if they're not here to answer questions."

Trustee Gina Parilli said she also had "concerns about the drive-thru."

She said she was worried about how the drive-thru transactions might be monitored, especially when customers go through the drive-thru and then find out they need to enter the store to buy the products they want.

"There's going to be a lot of confusion there, and that would be something that I would like to get some answers on as well."

Trustees were advised that they could continue the motion or wait to take a vote until the end of the meeting in case the petitioners arrived. They declined those options before voting against the special use permit request.