By One Vote, Possible Third Cannabis Dispensary Turned Down by City Council

(Above) Parkway Dispensary, LLC CEO Ambrose Jackson addresses the Danville City Council prior to their vote denying his company a special use permit to build just north of the current Sunnyside Dispensary.

After much discussion during Tuesday night’s Danville City Council meeting, a request by Parkway Dispensary, LLC out of Brookfield, IL to build a cannabis dispensary just two properties north of the current Sunnyside Dispensary; was turned down by a seven-to-six vote.

Prior to that, the Council had approved allowing the zoning change that would have allowed Parkway to build there.  The “no” votes to the zoning change were Aldermen Mike Puhr, James Poshard, Carolyn Wands, Ethan Burt, Eve Ludwig, and Robert Williams.  But when it came time to vote the special use permit for Parkway itself; one additional “no” vote from Alderwoman  Sharon Pickering gave the “nos” the edge.  Pickering told us, the first vote was simply an agreement with the new state zoning law.  But the second one was a statement of “no, Danville does not need two dispensaries right near each other.”

AUDIO: I just felt like, because the state had already passed this, that we should go ahead and pass this also.  I mean it’s a state (law).  But as far as wanting another dispensary here, I do not.

The Danville City Council voted down Parkway Dispensary LLC’s request for a special use permit to build a cannabis dispensary just north of the current Sunnyside dispensary.  Parkway’s facility would have necessitated a northern extension of Lynch Drive, to place it at 361 Lynch Dr.  Meanwhile, on the other side of Lynch Road, Seven Point of Illinois still plans to build their already approved cannabis dispensary at 388 Eastgate Drive.

Meanwhile, Seven Point of Illinois is still on the clock to build Danville’s second dispensary on the other side of Lynch Road.  And that especially bothers Parkway CEO Ambrose Jackson, who very much wanted to be me a minority owner of a dispensary in Danville.  And it had been recommended earlier this month by the Planning and Zoning Commission.

AUDIO: You know after four years of spending my life working towards this, it’s very disheartening to see.  Especially because the one that’s operating, it is a white owned company; and the one that’s approved, it’s also a white owned company.  We’ve got our funding in place, we’ve got a development ready to go.  I think we could’ve done a lot of positive things for the community.  So it’s sad that they didn’t see that.

NOTE: SEVEN POINT OF ILLINOIS CEO BRAD ZERMAN HAS OBJECTED TO MR. JACKSON’S STATEMENT OF SEVEN POINT BEING A “white owned company.”  MR ZERMAN’S STATEMENT IS BELOW:

According to the State of Illinois,  Seven Point is a Social Equity Applicant. Seven Point is 51% social equity owned, 27% female owned, and 10% disabled vet owned, and also one partner is on the board of directors of the Illinois Independent Craft Growers Association.

Two people were at the meeting representing Seven Point of Illinois, including Vanessa Dotson.  She says; yes, they’re working on getting their approved dispensary built.

AUDIO: We’re hoping to break ground in March or April, with the completion by end of year.  But again, we’re still in completion stages, so I can’t for sure set an exact timeline.

Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr had cast an extra “yes” vote for the zoning change, giving it an 8-6 margin, and also believing the city should align with the state.  But after the special use permit was voted down 7-6, a vote from him either way would not have mattered.  The mayor says he’s hoping Seven Point of Illinois can still provide a “positive experience and product for the people of Danville.”