There was unfinished business to attend to at the recent Riverbank City Council meeting via Zoom. The second reading of a development agreement between the City of Riverbank and Canna Mart was hosted, bringing a third cannabis dispensary to Riverbank with a unanimous approval.
The retail cannabis dispensary is to be constructed at 2667 Patterson Road which is a vacant lot. The proposed site is not within 600 feet of a school, day care, or youth center. The site is surrounded by mix use properties including commercial and residential use. They will need approvals for their concept and floor plans by the Planning Commission and the City along with landscape and irrigation plans.
Planning and Building Manager Donna Kenney gave the report at the first reading with complete details so they did not get into specifics at this meeting. They had one public comment with a concern about it being a wholesale distribution dispensary. According to City Manager Sean Scully, they cannot package it in bulk for wholesale and distribute to other businesses. They are a retail dispensary. They can deliver cannabis like the other dispensaries. Councilmember Darlene Barber Martinez had concerns about parking. When they develop the property they will have to get approval from Caltrans and the City, noted officials. Councilmember Cindy Fosi made a comment about a citizen contacting her with concerns that it was going to be a distribution center so she wanted to confirm that was not the case but it will have a delivery area like the other cannabis sites in the city do.
According to Rod Olson, consultant for the applicants, he explained during public comment that they did have a state license for a different type of distribution. This allows them to purchase cannabis in bulk, package it and sell it at its own establishments. It allows the retailer to compete. If they are not zoned for it then they will proceed under the guidelines set by the city.
Currently in the City of Riverbank, already operating are Flavors Cannabis Dispensary on Patterson Road and Riverbank Cannabis Collective on Third Street in downtown Riverbank.