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Planning board approves cannabis dispensary at 523 Washington Ave with security and glazing conditions
Summary
The board approved a conditional-use/site-plan application for a Class I retail cannabis dispensary at the former Bradley Tire site (523 Washington Ave), subject to security measures, hours consistent with prior guidance and a zoning variance for reduced glazing given security concerns.
The Belleville Planning Board granted conditional site-plan approval for PB 248, an application to convert 523 Washington Avenue (the former Bradley Tire property) into a Class I retail cannabis dispensary operated by Lita Gardens, subject to conditions spelled out by the board and staff.
Applicant witnesses described operations and security: an on‑site security guard (licensed and armed per state rules), layered surveillance and access controls, a secured storage cage (analogous to a DEA-style inventory room) and a controlled rear delivery protocol (man‑trap receiving area with manifest checks; deliveries by unmarked vans during daytime hours). The applicant told the board staff totals would be 14 employees with a maximum of eight employees on site at any one time.
The applicant originally requested 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. hours but the operation agreed to the board’s subcommittee guidance for 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays (with some flexibility discussed for weekend hours); the board recorded an understanding of those hours as part of the approval conditions.
Site improvements include closing two front garage bays, adding a storefront entrance, new signage and a sidewalk, repaving the site, landscaping and a stormwater/trench installation in the rear. The board noted one zoning variance: the ordinance requires a high percentage of glazing on the street-facing façade that the applicant reduced for security reasons (plans show approximately 33% glazing vs. 75% required); the board judged the glazing variance acceptable in light of the security plan and recommended police coordination.
The board’s approval was conditioned on the security program being fully implemented, continued coordination with police and compliance with the site plan changes and will be memorialized following the standard post-hearing approvals and any final engineering sign-offs.
