ABOVE: Danville Planning and Zoning Commission members present at September 5th meeting; Michael Hall, Ashton Greer, Aaron Troglia, Tammy Wilson, and Troy Savalick.
On Tuesday, September 17th; the Danville City Council will need only a simple majority to pass a proposed cap on cannabis dispensary licenses within city limits. The Danville Planning & Zoning Commission passed the motion five-nothing Thursday (Sept 5th) evening; with two Commission members, Adam Brown and Pete Goodwin, absent.
Testifying in support of the cap were Danville Alderwomen Eve Ludwig and Sherry Pickering; along with three employees at dispensary Seven Point of Illinois; Erin Peck, Cerena Ringo, and CEO Brad Zerman. Peck and Ringo also worked at one time for Danville dispensary Sunnyside. The third license has been granted to Mariworks and their plans for a nuEra dispensary, which has not yet been built.
The general consensus of all witnesses was that the current licensees in Danville need a chance to be successful without additional competition flooding the market. Zerman summed it up by saying, “If you keep piling on more dispensaries, you eventually won’t have any at all.”
(1st Picture) Seven Point of Illinois CEO Brad Zerman speaks in favor of capping Danville cannabis licenses at three, while employees Erin Peck and Cerena Ringo listen. (2nd Picture) Danville Alderman Sherry Pickering expresses her support for capping the cannabis licenses, while Aldermen Eve Ludwig and Ed Butler look on. (3rd Picture) Donato Solar-Vermilion’s Nick Mahoney chats with a resident concerned about the planned solar-self storage project at 3811 North Vermilion.
Also moved forth to the City Council with a recommendation from the Commission was a proposal to allow temporary signs for downtown businesses to use for special occasions; and a 3-1 recommendation for a Self-Storage and solar project being placed at 3811 North Vermilion. The latter petitioner, Donato Solar – Vermilion LLC, stated through spokesperson Nick Mahoney that current unattractive buildings at the site would be torn down, and that “dark sky compliant, contained lighting,” designed to only come on after 9 PM if motion is detected, would be used to help protect nearby residential areas from disturbing light. Mahoney told CIMG afterwards that the solar panels at the site would produce energy to be sold to the electric grid, as well as powering the storage unit. Ashton Greer, Troy Savalick, and Aaron Troglia voted “yes,” Michael Hall voted “no,” and Tammy Wilson abstained.
