A developer is asking the Sycamore City Council to approve a cannabis dispensary on DeKalb Avenue, documents released this week show.

The City Council has historically been opposed to development proposals involving recreational cannabis use.

Still, Steve Weber of Echelon Grow has petitioned for a special use permit to operate a dispensary at 1598 DeKalb Ave., across from O’Reilly’s Auto Parts. The space previously housed Bill Cho’s Taekwondo Center.

The City Council is expected to vote on the matter at its regular meeting set for 6 p.m. Monday.

City Code requires dispensaries to be located at least 1,000 feet away from day cares, schools and other child care facilities. But the DeKalb Avenue site is about 287 feet away from a day care home, according to the city of Sycamore.

Weber has asked the city to amend its existing code to allow the dispensary to go into the space. He’s asking that the code be amended to require a minimum of 250 feet, instead of 1,000 feet, away from educational and daycare facilities.

Under the city code, the dispensary’s hours would be limited to between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.

The developer went before the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission this week for a first review of the proposal. The commission gave a positive backing of the project, recommending the City Council do the same, documents show.

Weber’s plans show a proposed “mobile order fulfillment window” to accommodate drive-thru patrons. But that’s not allowed under city code, and in accordance with state cannabis laws, documents show.

No one would be allowed to use the products inside the store, either, also common under existing laws.

The recreational cannabis business is already heavily regulated under Illinois law and includes tight stipulations on where, how and who operates the dispensaries. Local police usually require dispensaries to follow strict security guidelines.

DeKalb County already has two dispensaries, both in DeKalb: Excelleaf, which opened at 305 E. Locust St. downtown in November 2023, and nuEra DeKalb Dispensary, which opened in May 2024 at 818 W. Lincoln Highway in the Junction Shopping Center.

Previous proposals involving the cannabis industry have been shot down by the Sycamore City Council. There are no dispensaries or related recreational cannabis industry businesses in Sycamore.

In April 2023, the City Council voted down a proposed cannabis craft grower facility and, at the same time, tightened local existing regulations surrounding what type of cannabis business is allowed in the city.