By this point next week we will know for certain that Star Buds, the recreational marijuana dispensary already operating successfully in Riverside, has full approval to relocate to a larger site that is currently owned by village government.
After receiving a blessing last week for its revised proposals from the Riverside Planning and Zoning Commission, we expect the village council will sign off, too.
As they should.
Pot dispensaries are a goldmine for local government. Sales tax revenues roll in when a well placed and well run dispensary comes to town. Riverside has been intentionally working to attract a hard-to-get dispensary for several years. It worked purposefully to get Star Buds open on Harlem Avenue, just north of Longcommon. And now it seems equally motivated to both sell its parcel at Harlem and Burlington and to attract more customers with a larger dispensary and, almost certainly, a companion business selling cannabis-infused baked goods.
Star Buds wisely made multiple concessions after the planning and zoning commission raised worries about its initial proposal for the Burlington site back in June. Design changes to the main entrance will lessen light pointed toward a residential area. And the village commission also backed off an early concern over safety related to the coming drive-thru lane. That change came after the village’s engineering firm gave a thumbs up and said the drive-thru is not a particular hazard.
This is a good outcome.
Better communication
Congratulations to Bob Uphues on his promotion to the new post of communications and marketing manager for the village of Brookfield. Landmark readers, of course, know Uphues from his 20 stellar years as the editor of this newspaper.
When he left Growing Community Media a year ago, we all knew there was another chapter ahead. And this one seems a strong match for his talents, his encyclopedic knowledge of all things Brookfield (and Riverside) and his appreciation of community building.
For Brookfield and its steady village manager, Tim Wiberg, this is a long-sought addition to his small administrative staff. Brookfield has made great progress in becoming an active and progressive community. From economic development to park renovations to the growing roster of community activities, Brookfield has a story to tell. But until now it has had a haphazard apparatus to coordinate that storytelling and information sharing.
With Bob Uphues helming this effort that messaging will only get stronger.