Batavia’s First Recreational Marijuana Dispensary Set to Open This Summer
The Batavia City Council has approved plans for the town’s first recreational marijuana dispensary, which is expected to open this summer. Rubino Ventures, a company with two existing locations in Oak Park and Morton Grove, will be transforming a vacant building at 144 S. Randall Road into a Dutchess Cannabis dispensary.
The dispensary required a conditional use permit, which means it had to be reviewed by the Plan Commission and approved by the City Council. The public hearing was held on December 18, and the council’s approval on Tuesday marks the final step in the process.
Dutchess Cannabis has a reputation for being strict about its security measures, including having a uniformed person meet customers at the door and requiring identification to prove age. Batavia Mayor Jeff Schielke, who initially opposed recreational marijuana sales in the city, expressed confidence in the company’s reputation and said he has received positive feedback from residents in nearby communities.
Some residents had expressed concerns about the dispensary’s location, which is near Batavia High School and Holy Cross Catholic School. However, City Council member Tim Lanci argued that the process to enter the dispensary is more secure than buying alcohol and that underage individuals would have a harder time gaining access.
The planned dispensary will be located in a previously vacant building that was once an Arby’s restaurant. The city’s locational requirements for cannabis dispensaries, put in place after the 2020 vote to allow recreational marijuana sales, are being met by the proposed dispensary.
