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Board hears concerns about cannabis store next to bar; borough says state approval allows placement
Summary
Board members questioned a cannabis retail store proposed next to a bar; Administrator Vernon Marino said state licensing does not prohibit proximity to alcohol-licensed premises and the applicant described physical separation between uses.
Board members raised concerns about the proposed cannabis retail use sharing a lot with a restaurant/bar and whether that adjacency would be allowed under borough or state rules.
Erva Macauley asked whether the proximity to the bar was permissible and what protections would be in place. Administrator Vernon Marino told the board the borough had asked state regulators and that the state's cannabis and ABC departments do not forbid the placement. "The State approved the license and the Borough did inquire to the State for verification in this placement, and there are no laws under the Cannabis nor ABC departments that prohibit this placement," Marino said.
Applicant testimony explained the uses are physically separated: the businesses are divided by a block firewall, have separate entrances and no shared interior space. The applicant said deliveries will use small vans and that operational controls, security cameras and staff procedures will be used to discourage on-site consumption; the board nonetheless asked for plan details demonstrating the physical separation and for the applicant to remain responsive to neighborhood concerns.
