Plan commission approves Zadis LLC hemp‑derived retail permit at 6312 Monona Drive with conditions

The Monona Plan Commission voted to approve a zoning permit for Zadis LLC to open a hemp‑derived retail store at 6312 Monona Drive (Case 2152025), adopting staff recommendations and adding conditions aimed at protecting adjacent residents.

Staff presented the request as a retail use consistent with the city’s comprehensive plan and retail zoning for the site. The business — described by the applicant as specializing in hemp flowers, pre‑rolls, edibles, tinctures, topicals and compliant products such as delta‑8 and delta‑9 — is a proposed second Dane County location following an existing Park Street store in Madison. Staff said the proposed space measures about 2,000 square feet, the applicant expects to employ five to ten people with three staff on a peak shift, and anticipates 50–100 customers per day. Operating hours in the application were 9 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week.

Why the decision matters: commissioners focused on three neighborhood impacts — parking, late‑night activity and site appearance — while staff recommended conditions for landscaping, signage and safety systems. Staff noted the application shows five dedicated parking stalls and proposed additional employee and overflow arrangements; the applicant supplied a written agreement from a nearby church for evening overflow parking and said some deliveries come from the Park Street location.

Commission discussion and conditions: commissioners expressed general support for the use but pressed for a clearly defined landscaping plan and for operational limits to reduce potential disturbance to a single‑family residence immediately behind the site. The commission added a condition to limit ‘‘uses in the rear’’ after 7 p.m. (a recommendation intended to restrict noisy or customer activity in the rear parking area while allowing staff access and reasonable operations). Commissioners also noted the applicant’s security measures (ID checks and interior/exterior cameras) and told staff to ensure standard safety conditions such as a Knox box and compliance with signage rules.

Public input and legal context: State Representative Sheila Stubbs introduced herself at the hearing and said her office had assisted the applicant with questions about process. Staff read into the record a phone message from a nearby resident, Linda Simley, noting opposition and concerns about impacts on neighbors. During the hearing, the applicant cited the 2018 federal farm bill as the legal basis for selling hemp‑derived products that test below 0.3% delta‑9 THC; staff and commissioners relied on the zoning review rather than re‑litigating the federal legal standard.

Outcome and next steps: the commission approved the zoning permit by voice vote with no recorded opposition. Conditions recorded in the staff report — including administrative review of landscaping and signage and required safety measures — were adopted with the added rear‑use hour limitation. Staff will monitor parking complaints and may require further planning review if on‑site parking becomes problematic; the permit holder must follow up with staff on the listed administrative items before final authorization.