Peru approves marijuana dispensary; group now waits state license – Shaw Local

Peru is about quickly to have La Salle County’s second marijuana dispensary.

The Kana Grove marijuana dispensary acquired approval Monday from the Peru Metropolis Council. The request was unanimously authorised, aligning with the advice of the Planning and Zoning committee.

Whereas the group was granted approval from the town, Kana Grove should wait to have its license from the state of Illinois earlier than it could open to the general public. In response to members of the event group, the state goes by way of litigation, placing a maintain on their opening plans.

Kana Grove estimates it will be capable to start taking clients about one 12 months after it receives the state’s license.

Kana Grove was chosen by the state, by means of lottery, to be eligible to obtain an working license.

“It was a no brainer for us to need to function in Peru,” Ostrowitz stated. “We wished to function in Peru as a result of there’s a thriving financial panorama right here.”

The enterprise will turn into the only real operator of the constructing situated at 1320 E thirty eighth St., the previous location of Jimmy John’s. Metropolis officers had been uncertain of the way forward for the present occupant, Western Manufacturing unit Outlet.

Kana Grove shall be transforming the inside and exterior of the constructing in addition to going ahead with a deliberate repaving of the car parking zone. It will enhance the deliberate variety of parking spots by greater than 40 areas.

The council was reassured of the security of the placement and the enterprise by way of feedback from Police Chief Bob Pyszka. Pyszka stated he has been in touch with police chiefs in Ottawa and Morris and so they have reported no issues with the dispensaries of their jurisdictions. The opposite marijuana dispensary in La Salle County operates in Ottawa.

Points had been introduced up a couple of potential downside associated to site visitors. The event group carried out a site visitors research by way of Chamlin and Associates that indicated the enterprise wouldn’t trigger site visitors points. The research indicated the dispensary is projected to trigger much less of a site visitors pressure than the earlier Jimmy John’s.

The proposal’s greatest opposition got here from Alderman Mike Sapienza, who cited a straw ballot settlement the council made years in the past to not enable a dispensary south of Interstate 80.

“Fairly some time in the past, when all of this primary got here up, the council had a protracted dialogue on the location of a dispensary,” Sapienza stated. “I’m not opposing the dispensary, I’m simply opposing the location of it.

“We had stated at the moment that it ought to be north of 80. I nonetheless really feel very strongly that it ought to be north of 80. The explanation it’s not north of 80 proper now’s that that is their alternative website.”

Sapienza additionally talked about the council got here to this settlement was due to site visitors issues. Regardless of Sapienza’s placement issues, he voted to permit the dispensary, aligning with the votes of that ward’s aldermen.

Alderman Tom Payton rebutted Sapienza’s feedback, saying he requested the group through the planning and zoning committee assembly in the event that they thought of places north of 80.

The group stated it discovered no constructing appropriate.

“They test the containers and it’s going to be a pleasant trying retailer,” Payton stated. “I believe it’s going to be in every single place finally and in my analysis in California, Colorado and Arizona, we’re going to experience the wave till the market is saturated after which they are going to be similar to every other small retail store that involves a metropolis.”

Mayor Ken Kolowski welcomed the enterprise to Peru and talked about the council shall be making choices of the place to allocate the additional gross sales income when that point comes.

“I like the truth that they’re actually going to decorate up the constructing,” Kolowski stated. “It’s going to be a pleasant addition to the north finish. Over time it’s going to be one other retail enterprise, however proper now it’s new and there’s numerous laws.”