The Pine Plains Planning Board on Wednesday, Dec. 17, approved site plans for a proposed cannabis dispensary on South Main Street and a manufacturing campus planned by the Hudson Company on Route 83.
In a 6-0 vote, the board approved the site plan for Upstate Pines, a cannabis retailer owned by Brian Seiler and Ben Abrahams, to open a second dispensary at 7723 South Main St., inside the historic weigh station building that once housed Deuel’s Home Center.
The proposal drew extensive public comment earlier this fall, with residents raising concerns about the building’s historic character and its proximity to the Pine Plains firehouse and post office, both classified as essential public services under town code.
Earlier this year, the Planning Board granted Upstate Pines a waiver allowing the business to operate despite its proximity to those services. The waiver was granted after that provision of town law was rendered unenforceable following guidance from the New York State Cannabis Control Board, which limits municipal regulation of cannabis dispensaries to hours of operation, visual appearance, parking, traffic, odor, and noise. Under state law, the only remaining proximity restriction bars dispensaries from operating within 500 feet of a youth facility.
The board also approved a site plan for the Hudson Company, which plans to consolidate its operations into a 50,000-square-foot manufacturing campus at 2436 Route 83, including a mill, showroom, and reuse of an existing warehouse.
Founder Jamie Hammel previously told the board the company employs about 35 people and has outgrown its current leased spaces. The project generated public comment related to noise, traffic and environmental impacts, which the applicant said would remain within state thresholds.
Both approvals followed months of review and public hearings by the Planning Board.
Great. Just what we need. MORE dope in a country already awash in drug insanity. Does the name Nick Reiner ring a bell? Yes, smoking weed is rampant–the entire city of NY smells like a roach-clip–and the black market is permanent, but do we need to ADD to the problem? This is a tax-grab by greedy politicians who only care about finding more cash to spend. Shame on them!