Two Cannabis Dispensaries Receive City Approval in Peekskill
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Two cannabis dispensaries in separate locations in the City of Peekskill received approval from the Planning Commission last month.
However, before Cloud 914 on Washington St. or Gracious Greens on North Division St. can open for business, they must be granted licenses from New York State’s Office of Cannabis Management.
Cloud 914 is planning to move into the space that has been occupied for years by Nardone Brothers furniture store, next to Dollar General.
The new venture is co-owned by former Peekskill and Westchester County Department of Public Safety Officer Christopher Calabrese and Kyle and Kim Knapp, who operated Kyles Pub on Washington St. across from Nardone for 25 years.
“I have been talking about doing this for 25 years,” Kyle Knapp told the Planning Commission on Feb. 14. “We have the best location. You can’t beat it.”
“We’re all about Peekskill,” Calabrese said. “It’s a very clean in and out business.”
Calabrese, a Peekskill native, said he was first exposed to cannabis when his wife had terminal cancer and used it to help ease her pain from chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
Kyle Knapp said two retired police detectives would be providing security at Cloud 914, which is slated to be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
“We don’t want people buying and smoking in their cars in the parking lot,” he said.
Calabrese and Knapp stressed the abundance of parking on site, which the Planning Commission noted was beneficial.
“The parking seems adequate,” said Chairman Jeffrey Stern. “It looks nice.”
Planning Commission members had more reservations about parking with Gracious Greens in the downtown area with 52 vehicle trips per hour projected for the business.
“I’m concerned about the amount of traffic that will be pushed into that area,” said planner Victor Drapala. “Double parking is a problem down there.”
Stephen Van Ostrand, one of the co-owners, emphasized delivery will be a major component of the business, which is slated to be open until 10 p.m.
“We have this really thought out,” he said. “I think it will be a huge success.”
Peekskill Police Chief Leo Dylewski issued a memo to City Planner Carol Samol in early February also raising concerns about double parking in the area, along with potential smoking in the open restaurant area when the street is closed.
Van Ostrand said he would regularly patrol the area outside the business to ensure all rules are followed.
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