Oswego commission to hear proposal for Blounts & Moore cannabis dispensary at Douglas Road, Route 34

Oswego Village Hall, 100 Parkers Mill, Oswego

OSWEGO – After approving the village’s first ever permit for a cannabis dispensing facility in December, the village of Oswego has received its third application for the operation of a dispensary.

When they gather for their next meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, the village’s Planning and Zoning Commission is set to review a proposal for a special use permit from petitioner Blounts & Moore, LLC to allow for the operation of a cannabis dispensing facility at 1144 Douglas Rd.

The proposed Blounts & Moore dispensary would occupy a former chiropractor’s office in the Mason Square shopping center off of Douglas Road near Route 34. The proposed site currently sits vacant on the south end of the multi-tenant building, north of Domino’s Pizza.

If they receive an advisory recommendation from the commission, the plan will come before the Village Board for further consideration and a possible vote at a Feb. 21 meeting.

In a memo to the commission, Valeria Tarka, a planner for the village, noted the special use permit request from Blounts & Moore is consistent with surrounding commercial uses in the area.

The memo continues, “The location is desirable because of its convenient access to the public, ample parking, and proper buffer zone/distance away from any school, day care, house of worship, or other dispensary location.”

Blounts & Moore, LLC is proposing to convert the subject property from a chiropractic office space to a retail facility and has not yet stated plans for exterior modifications, according to the staff memo.

The proposed hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

Village officials recently granted final approval to Cloud 9 Dispensary, to operate out of a former fast food restaurant at 2420 Route 30 in the Townes Crossing shopping center. Cloud 9 will also be off Douglas Road, just over one mile away from the proposed Blounts & Moore site.

A 2019 survey conducted by the village showed strong community support for cannabis retail businesses in Oswego. The survey had 1,345 respondents, of whom 88% self-identified as village residents.

The survey data showed 84% of respondents supported medical dispensaries, 80% support a local tax on cannabis products, 73% showed support for recreational dispensaries and 60% supported cannabis cafés or smoke lounges.

The commission will also make a recommendation Thursday on the required distance between cannabis dispensing facilities in the village.

Currently, the village’s zoning ordinance allows for cannabis dispensing facilities to locate no closer than 1,500 feet from one another, per a regulation imposed by the State. The village may amend the ordinance to increase the required distance between dispensing facilities.

According to a memo from Tarka, staff is recommending that the Planning and Zoning Commission recommend approval of the text amendments to require a buffer of one mile between cannabis dispensing facilities.

The commission meeting will be held at Village Hall, 100 Parker’s Mill.