Planning commission approves Relief cannabis dispensary site plan at 1337 Liberty Road

The Carroll County Planning and Zoning Commission on Sept. 16 approved a site plan for Relief Cannabis Dispensary (file SF250050) at 1337 Liberty Road in Eldersburg, voting 6-0 with one abstention.

The project, a standard (walk-in) adult-use cannabis dispensary that will occupy an existing tenant space on the western end of a planned business center, seeks to use 3,749 square feet of retail floor area within a 3,817-square-foot tenant space. Development Review staff said the dispensary requires planning-commission approval under the county zoning code (chapter 158) even though the simplified site-plan procedure applied and no new ground disturbance or new freestanding signage is proposed.

Why it matters: The commission's approval adds one of the county's limited standard adult-use dispensary licenses to the Eldersburg area and follows staff review for zoning and site-compliance requirements, including parking and sensitive-location checks. Staff told the commission that the site is not within any prohibited buffers for sensitive uses and that the plan had no resource-management impacts.

What the commission heard: Laura Matias of Carroll County Development Review summarized the application and staff's technical review, saying the retail floor area and parking comply with the county's C-2 (commercial) zoning and that no new site work is proposed. Connor Welton and Andre McGinnis, who identified themselves as founders and majority owners of the Relief shop venture, answered operational questions. Welton said Relief already operates a dispensary in Baltimore; McGinnis confirmed the Eldersburg location will be a standard walk-in dispensary and will not use the existing drive-through (that lane is attributed to a Smoothie King tenant). A single written comment from a nearby business was filed opposing the proximity of a cannabis retailer.

Vote and outcome: Planning commission members moved and seconded a motion to approve the site plan "in accordance with chapter 158" and then conducted a roll-call vote. The record shows affirmative votes from Mister Kane, Mister Lester, Mister Robertson, Mister Smith, and Mister Soreson; Mister Gordon recorded an abstention. The planning commission's board secretary noted "6 yeas and 1 abstain." The motion carried and the commission approved the site plan, allowing the applicant to proceed with tenant fit-out and permitting steps that follow planning approval.

Next steps: With county planning approval in hand, the applicant will pursue any remaining building- and trade-permit approvals and sign permits required by zoning. County staff said standard dispensary licenses are limited in number and governed by state allocation rules; planning approval does not alter state licensing thresholds.

Ending: Commissioners wished the applicants luck; applicants thanked the commission and left the meeting.