We've posted about rumors of a cannabis dispensary in the neighborhood, but not much has materialized. That said, we recently saw this post on Prairie District Neighborhoods Alliance's Facebook Page and seems pretty legit:
Dear South Loop Neighbor,
On December 16, 2021, Green & Foster, LLC submitted a special use application to establish an adult use cannabis dispensary at 2114 S. Wabash Ave. Per City permitting rules, the applicant is only required to host one community meeting as part of the application process. Additionally, I want to remind you that I am unable to grant or deny the issuance of a special use permit for an adult use cannabis dispensary. I can only advocate on behalf of my residents as part of the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) process.
As your alderman, I am committed to ensuring that residents have their voice heard in the special use application process. I will be hosting my own community meeting in January 2022 to gather feedback from residents on the dispensary proposal. I will also submit an official statement to the Zoning Board of Appeals reflecting the wishes of residents should the application move forward and receive a hearing in the ZBA. And, as I do with all businesses in the neighborhood, I will work directly with the applicant to ensure their business operates in a manner that reflects the character and integrity of the community.
On that final point, I must express my disappointment that the applicant posted their community notice during the holidays when most people are focused on celebrating with their families. This is not the way we operate in the 3rd Ward and that will be made clear to the applicant.
ZBA Process for Cannabis Dispensaries
No special use application may be approved unless the Zoning Board of Appeals finds that the proposed use in its proposed location meets all of the following criteria:
1. complies with all applicable standards of this Zoning Ordinance;
2. is in the interest of the public convenience and will not have a significant adverse impact on the
general welfare of the neighborhood or community;
3. is compatible with the character of the surrounding area in terms of site planning and building scale and project design;
4. is compatible with the character of the surrounding area in terms of operating characteristics, such as hours of operation, outdoor lighting, noise, and traffic generation; and
5. is designed to promote pedestrian safety and comfort.
When the anticipated impacts of a special use are determined to have the potential for adverse impacts on surrounding property, the special use must be denied or conditions must be placed on the approval to ensure that any adverse impacts will be mitigated. The Zoning Administrator may recommend and the Zoning Board of Appeals may impose such conditions upon the site planning, design, location and operation of a special use.
ZBA Contact Information - Public testimony is the preferred method of public comment. Members of the public wishing to speak must join the Zoom meeting at the link provided on the ZBA website at 8:30 a.m. the day of the meeting. Written statements from members of the public will be accepted at ZBA@cityofchicago.org until 5 p.m. the Monday before the meeting.
I look forward to working with you to properly vet this proposed special use application. Please feel free to reach out to me or my office on this, or any other issue, at Ward03@cityofchicago.org or at 773-373-9273.
3rd Ward Alderman Pat Dowell
This appears to be the vacant retail space that once housed Tommy Gun's - the gangster themed tourist restaurant - that closed last year.
Should be interesting to see how this process plays out.
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