St. Charles grants preliminary approval for second recreational marijuana dispensary
Plans are moving forward to open a second recreational marijuana dispensary in St. Charles.
At the St. Charles City Council's Planning and Development Committee meeting on Monday, the majority of alderpersons recommended approval of a special use application for Consume Cannabis of St. Charles to locate in a 4,146-square-foot space at 584 S. Randall Road that formerly housed a sports bar.
Voting "no" were 1st Ward Alderperson Ron Silkaitis and 2nd Ward Alderperson Rita Payleitner. In 2019, they voted against allowing recreational marijuana dispensaries.
"I still don't believe we need this in St. Charles," Silkaitis said. "It is not what our image is about, in my opinion."
The plans will now go to the full city council for approval. The dispensary plans to locate in the Randall Plaza shopping center on the city's west side.
In October, the majority of plan commissioners recommended approval of the special use application with the condition that crosswalks, stop signs or speed bumps be installed to help control traffic flow and to increase safety for pedestrians walking back and forth to their vehicles.
As part of the city's rules, two recreational marijuana dispensaries can locate in the city - one on the east side and one on the west side of the Fox River. The city's first recreational marijuana dispensary, Zen Leaf, opened last year in the former Jared Jewelry store in the Main Street Commons shopping center in St. Charles.
In 2020, Zen Leaf began selling recreational marijuana at its dispensary at 3714 Illinois Ave. after St. Charles alderpersons gave it the green light. To accommodate Zen Leaf's growth, the dispensary moved into the former Jared Jewelry store. Zen Leaf opened in St. Charles in 2015 as a medical marijuana dispensary.
This would be Consume Cannabis' fifth marijuana dispensary in Illinois. Consume Cannabis also has marijuana dispensaries in Oakbrook Terrace, Marion, Chicago and Carbondale, along with dispensaries in Michigan and Arizona.
Consumption of the products in the space would not be allowed, Jake Coward, speaking on behalf of Consume Cannabis, had told plan commissioners. Plans call for a minimum of one licensed armed security guard in the building at all times staff is present, whether during public hours or not. The facility also will have a state-of-the-art security system, including camera surveillance of the entire facility.
Coward said the security cameras would be able to see if someone is trying to consume a product in the adjacent parking lot. He said signs could be posted reminding customers that consumption in the parking lot is not allowed.
Customers would have to show proper identification to enter the dispensary, according to the application. Consume Cannabis of St. Charles would be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.