WOOD RIVER — A marijuana dispensary is planned at 56 E. Ferguson Ave. in July or August, Wood River City Manager Steve Palen confirmed Friday.
The business is tentatively called Riverbend Dispensary LLC. Palen said the proprietors have not determined the business’ final name. A commercial occupancy permit has been submitted, Palen said, but a building permit has not been filed.
“Several years ago when marijuana became legal in the state, and municipalities were saying to allow it or not allow it, the city voted to say we would allow it,” Palen said. “The city actually gets a small amount of revenue already because we said we‘d allow it, and currently it’s allowed by our code.”
The agenda for Monday’s Wood River City Council meeting includes discussion of the planned dispensary. Item No. 25 on the agenda is listed as: “Approval of a request that no cannabis dispensary licenses be issued until the voters can decide by binding referendum how the city should proceed regarding any and all licensing for operating cannabis dispensaries within the City of Wood River.”
“It’s (the dispensary) allowed by our code,” Palen said. “It would take a change of the code to deny this business.