St. Charles pot dispensary seeking to move elsewhere in city

The operators of the Zen Leaf marijuana dispensary in St. Charles are seeking to move from an office complex into a former jewelry store on Main Street.

A public hearing will be held before the March 2 St. Charles plan commission meeting to discuss the proposed move by Healthway Services of West Illinois LLC, which filed a petition with the city to move its Zen Leaf location into a shuttered Jared Jewelers building in the Main Street Commons shopping complex at the southeast corner of Main Street and Kirk Road.

The opening of the St. Charles Zen Leaf dispensary was approved in May of last year after a 6-4 city council vote. The location opened in an office complex at 3714 Illinois Ave., attracting complaints from tenants who said a marijuana dispensary was inappropriate for the St. Charles Commons complex.

Part of the agreement to open the dispensary was a provision where the business had to relocate to a building in a proper zoning area within 18 months or cease operations.

"The applicant seeks to relocate their existing dispensary to the vacant commercial space," the application states. "The height and exterior of the existing building will remain unchanged and any renovations are interior in nature."