Cheektowaga, NY Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)

Chapter 80's location standards, adopted by Local Law No. 1-2025, go well beyond a simple setback. Section 80-4I, J, and K each bar an establishment from being located on the same road and within 1,000 feet of the entrance of a building used as a house of worship, a school, or grounds used as a public youth facility, respectively, applying that buffer separately to each type of protected use. On top of the distance rule, § 80-4N and O prohibit any establishment from being located or operating in an area zoned or used for residential use, or from abutting a residentially zoned or used property at all, meaning a site can fail the location test even outside the 1,000-foot radius if it borders a house lot.

Outdoor consumption areas carry a further buffer: § 80-4L requires an adult-use on-site consumption operation with outdoor smoking or vaping space to sit at least 50 feet from an adjacent public thoroughfare, and § 80-4M requires compliance with the Clean Indoor Air Act's smoke and odor controls under Public Health Law Article 13-E. Section 80-4P separately requires odors from any establishment to be controlled so they do not reach adjoining properties. When the Town Board reviews a special use permit application, § 80-5C lists proximity to a school, place of worship, public park, or other community facility as an independent ground for denial if the location is more likely than not to negatively impact the neighborhood, giving the Board discretion beyond the fixed 1,000-foot line. These buffers apply Town-wide outside the Villages of Sloan and Depew, which run their own separate codes.