When it came to the future placement of any marijuana dispensaries near a residential neighborhood in Joliet, some residents spoke, and the council heard them loud and clear.
The Joliet City Council on Tuesday voted 6-2 against a proposal to reduce the setback of and adult use cannabis shop from 250 feet to 100 feet. The initial proposal was to reduce it down to 50 feet.
Kathy Spieler, of the Reedwood Neighborhood Association, told the council she came to Tuesday’s meeting to say, “50 feet is too close to our kids.” Spieler expressed concern the proposed ordinance would allow cannabis dispensaries too close to pre-schools, daycare center, schools and parks and other places where children would be nearby.
A handful of other residents joined Spieler at the meeting, and some carried signs reading “Say No to 50 Feet.”
Another resident, Mary Beth Gannon of the Cathedral neighborhood, said other communities have stricter ordinances in place to ensure the dispensaries couldn’t be close to schools, day care center, parks and other places where children might be. She pointed to Shorewood, Aurora and Peoria which have ordinances requiring distances of 500 to 750 feet, measuring from property line to property line.
“Joliet,” she said, “needs to strengthen its buffer language and make sure it’s saying property line to property line,” Gannon said.
Gannon expressed concerns about increased crime if the city allows the dispensaries within residential areas. “We’ve seen a huge rash of crime in the Cathedral area,” she said, adding that young people are breaking into cars and stealing things and likely selling them to buy drugs.”
“We don’t want them east of Larkin and Jefferson,” Gannon said of the dispensaries. “It’s all residential there and we feel very strongly about that.”
Gannon added that there are children walking from grade schools and Joliet West High School in those areas.
“It doesn’t take a lot to figure out that these kids can walk in the parking lot of one of these places and wait for somebody who bought it legally and go buy it from them,” she said.
The majority of the Joliet City Council agreed with the residents. Voting against approval of the ordinance even with increasing the reduction from 50 to 100 feet, were Councilmen Terry Morris (District 5), Larry Hug (District 1), Pat Mudron (District 2), and Councilwomen Jan Quillman, Bettye Gavin and Sherri Riordon (District 3). Councilmen Cesar Guerrero and Joe Clement voted in favor of the revised ordinance.
Gannon said some better locations would be out near the Joliet Regional Airport or near the Louis Joliet Mall.
The revised ordinance stated city staff were recommending the change to “enable more development opportunities.”
Hug, who is chairman of the council Economic Development Committee, was skeptical about whether the dispensary will bring in any new tax dollars. Approving it, he said, would be disrespectful to families with children in those residential areas. Hug said he voted against the original ordinance.
Quillman also voted against the original ordinance and said the ordinance “should be tweaked.”
Morris said the city should be going in the other direction with any proposed revision to cannabis dispensary ordinance regarding locations.
“I think if anything we should increase it,” Morris said of the setback requirement. “I vote no.”
