ABOVE: Vice-Mayor Tricia Teague states her positive view on changing the dispensary zoning law.
By an 8 to 6 straw poll vote, the Danville City Council has in effect moved a proposed change to the cannabis dispensary zoning law on to the Planning and Zoning Commission for a formal recommendation vote, before it returns to the full Council for an official vote. The debate continued before the straw poll vote on whether dispensaries should be allowed in areas besides the Lynch Road Corridor. Alderman Jon Cooper and others were very adamant that passing this would not open the floodgates for dispensaries, because they would still be considered individually, one at a time, for a possible special use permit.
AUDIO: And if we voted it down, we’re not going to have anymore in town. If we voted for it, then we have the possibility for additional ones coming into town. But passing this DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN we’re going to be getting any in town or not.
Aldermen such as Ed Butler and Sherry Pickering were adamant that no door should be open for any additional dispensaries, period. But Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr and Vice Mayor Tricia Teague restated their points that there is a market for legal cannabis, and if the sites that still want to come to Danville cannot, they will simply go to nearby Tilton like Parkway did, leaving Danville without an additional piece of the pie. Teague says, in addition to that, the state requires dispensaries to contribute their revenue in certain ways.
(1st Picture) Alderman Heidi Wilson states her case for the proposed cannabis location zoning adjustment. (2nd picture) Seven Point of Illinois consultant Frank McNeil says any more dispensaries in Danville just further dilutes the market. (3rd picture) Seven Point of Illinois is under construction after breaking ground last summer.
AUDIO: The organizations that work with addiction and helping people deal with those things; use the money from these organizations to continue their work.
With second Lynch Road corridor dispensary Seven Point of Illinois currently under construction, their consultant Frank McNeil had a different but familiar take on the issue. He says more dispensaries anywhere in Danville will just further cut up and spread out the pie that already exists. McNeil says Seven Point CEO Brad Zerman wants to develop some restaurants near where Seven Point will be, either independently of it; or within the structure, perhaps with a future consumption lounge. McNeil says variety along Lynch Road should be the goal.
AUDIO: That’s what we’re looking to do; to provide more opportunities for the residents of Danville to have opportunities to stay in Danville, keep the money in Danville, have a decent meal. The idea of a restaurant, we can set up an independent restaurant as well. But I think, in that area, there’s a dearth of nothing. I think you know that.
Mayor Williams says the purpose of the straw poll was to make sure it was worth the Planning and Zoning Commission’s time to have the proposed change sent their way.
AUDIO: We always want to make sure that we use our staff as efficiently and as effectively as possible. So providing them with some guidance saves them and the citizens a lot of time. So in my mind, clarification is always a good thing.
On a related note, the full Council approved during Tuesday night’s meeting an adjustment the Planning and Zoning Commission recently made to the tattoo parlor location law. They will now be permitted in the B-2 highway and business zoning area as well as B-3, but in this case would NOT need to go before the Planning and Zoning Commission, unless someone desires to have a tattoo parlor in the B4 downtown zone.
“Yes” votes on the straw poll were cast by Aldermen Jon Cooper, Michael O’Kane, Tricia Teague, Michael Puhr, Bob Iverson, Heidi Wilson, Rick Strebing, and Darren York.
“No” votes came from Aldermen Ed Butler, Sherry Pickering, Eve Ludwig, James Poshard, Carolyn Wands, and Robert Williams.
