Commission recommends city approve High North dispensary conditional use permits after owner details compliance fixes

The Cottage Grove Planning Commission voted 7-0 on Sept. 22 to recommend that the City Council grant conditional use permits (CUPs) allowing adult‑use cannabis retail sales and lower‑potency hemp edible sales at High North’s existing location, 8711 East Point Douglas Road, Suite 108, subject to the conditions in the staff report.

Planning staff (Sam) told commissioners the property is zoned Mixed Use Business District and that both lower‑potency hemp edible retail sales and adult‑use cannabis sales are conditional uses in that district. Staff said High North’s current local registration for low‑potency sales expires Dec. 31, 2025, and that all low‑potency retailers in Minnesota must apply to the state during October 2025 for state licensure. Staff noted the city will not issue a local registration for adult‑use cannabis sales until the state license has been approved.

Staff also reported two age‑verification compliance violations documented by Cottage Grove Public Safety; following a second violation in May 2025 the city imposed a fine and a suspension, which the applicant served and paid. Public Safety recommended approval of the CUPs and will continue periodic compliance checks as required by state statute. Staff outlined the city’s enforcement framework: a third violation within a year would return the matter to City Council with increased fines and suspension; a fourth violation could trigger consideration of license revocation by the public safety director.

Owner Tyler Thompson, who identified himself as co‑owner, told the commission High North had added two ID‑scanning methods into its point‑of‑sale system and plans a vestibule and staffed entry procedure to verify IDs before customers enter the sales area. Thompson said the new cannabis‑specific platform requires an ID scan to begin a transaction and that the system preserves an audit trail of scanned IDs and timestamps.

Commissioners asked about measurement of statutory distance buffers and staff confirmed the city measures from the storefront of the cannabis business to the property line of the use in question; for parks the measurement is to a park feature. Commissioner Bhatt asked about the nature of the previous compliance violations; staff said they were age‑verification failures resulting in sales to minors, and that more detail is available from the Public Safety Department.

Commissioner Steckman moved to recommend passage in accordance with staff recommendations; Commissioner Knoebel seconded. The motion passed unanimously (7‑0). The CUPs and the applicant’s compliance record will be part of the council’s review when it considers final action.