Lake Zurich trustees approve first marijuana dispensary where TGI Fridays was
The Lake Zurich village board approved a plan to establish the town's first marijuana dispensary — to be called Bloc Cannabis Dispensary — at the old TGI Fridays restaurant on South Rand Road near Costco.
The vote was 4-1 with Trustee Marc Spacone being the lone dissenter.
Discussion of whether or not legal weed should be sold on Rand Road was rather subdued — no member of the public spoke out against or for the proposal, most village board members declined to ask any questions of the petitioners, and the entire board meeting wrapped up in less than a half-hour.
Jon Loevy, a co-founder of dispensary operator Justice Cannabis Co., said he wants the 676 S. Rand Road location to be a flagship for the Bloc chain. The Lake Zurich location would sell to both medical-use and recreational customers.
The plan changed very little since Loevy and his business partners first presented the plan to the board in September. Among the small changes was a request by village leaders not to have a mural of a butterfly painted on the side of the building.
“We thought it was artistic and were going to commission a local artist, but if the trustees would prefer to have no mural we will respect that,” said Mitch Zaveduk, a Justice Cannabis vice president.
Spacone, a principal at Larson Middle School in Elgin, said previously that he would vote against the plan because he believed the presence of the dispensary would lead to more kids using drugs. Monday night he said little besides declining an opportunity to ask questions of the petitioners and voting against the plan.
Voting in favor of the plan were Mary Beth Euker, Janice Gannon, Jonathan Sprawka and Greg Weider.
In September 2019, the village board imposed a one-year moratorium on creating rules for dispensaries. The board voted to consider dispensary rules in September 2020 and, in December, approved the current rules, which limit where dispensaries can be established. The plan from Justice Cannabis Co. was the first to come before the board for consideration.
On Oct. 20, the plan was before the village's planning and zoning Commission, where it was recommended for approval by a vote of 4-2. The plan also received a recommendation from the village staff.