Why Warner Robins has put a moratorium on liquor stores, smoke shops

Warner Robins is halting new liquor stores or smoke shops from popping up in the near future.

The Warner Robins City Council voted to place a moratorium on new licenses for those businesses Monday.

The moratorium, which passed unanimously during the council’s Monday meeting, applies to “licenses for new retail package liquor stores and business licenses related to the sale of vape products, low THC oil products, tobacco products, tobacco objects and cannabidiol products,” according to city documents. It went into effect immediately.

Warner Robins City Administrator James Drinkard said the moratorium is in place to give the city time to consider new ordinances regulating distance requirements, lot sizes, road frontages and what types of roads package stores and smoke shops can be located along. The moratorium will also give the city time to look at the overall saturation of these kinds of businesses around town.

While the moratorium can last up to six months, Drinkard said city officials have already drawn up a list of draft amendments they plan to present to Warner Robins Mayor LaRhonda Patrick. The moratorium will end sooner if the city council passes the amendments before the six-month mark, Drinkard said.

“The intent of (the moratorium) is essentially to buy us a little time,” Drinkard said.

Multiple council members said they had been contacted by constituents regarding the proliferation of package stores and smoke shops within the city limits.

According to research done by the city and presented by Patrick during the meeting, there are 20 licensed liquor stores and 39 licensed vape shops within the city limits. Patrick said the research does not include “vape sections” at convenience stores or liquor stores.

Post 2 Councilman Charlie Bibb said he’s heard from residents who are concerned about how many package stores and smoke shops have come into the area just in the last year or so.

Post 1 Councilman Dereck Mack expressed a similar sentiment, and said the moratorium and new amendments to the code of ordinances should address those worries.

“I’m sure everyone, including the mayor, has heard the cry of the public about the many vape shops,” Mack said. “We heard your cry and we’re trying to do something about it.”