Old firehouse could be Valley’s first pot outlet
A candidate to become Sonoma Valley’s first medical marijuana dispensary has emerged from the bureaucratic haze. The Petaluma company Apothevert had filed for a use permit to move into the old firehouse – now office space — at the corner of Arnold Drive and Madrone Road in Glen Ellen.
President Jani Friedman, Harvard MBA, is a health and wellness expert with some 30 years in merchandising, branding and business development. She told County planners that the facility would be “a welcoming, comfortable place where all adult patient age groups, ethnicities, and backgrounds can safely obtain cannabis remedies recommended by their doctor, to treat both minor and serious medical conditions.”
The floor plan for the 1,8900 sq. ft. space calls for six “stations” to serve up to a total of 150 patients a day. “We anticipate 1,000 patients will register as patient-members during the first 12 months,” says the applicant. Fourteen employees will be hired to help change the industry “by elevating and professionalizing the patient experience.”
7 thoughts on “Old firehouse could be Valley’s first pot outlet”
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I live 100 yards from the site and am opposed to this proposed use. This tiny commercial island is in a sea of residential with single and multi family units and lots of kids around, including a school bus stop. Site has only eight parking spaces and adjacent to an already very busy intersection. Local neighbors are developing a petition drive against this. Article mentions only medical side but Californians approved recreational so that aspect is the most concerning part. Thx, DP
Dear Everybody,
I heartily invite you to come visit this location, the old firehouse on the corner of Madrone and Arnold. Be sure to park in the lot, get out of your car and walk around. Then try to get back on the road (without getting hit.) Look out for the delivery trucks and customer’s cars in front of the market. If you come by in the morning or late afternoon look out for the school bus and kids crossing the street. Let us know the time of your visit and your experience.
I drive that intersection twice a day making a right turn on Arnold from Madrone. I don’t need cars pulling out in front of me from the parking lot. Try it.
And while you’re there, ask yourself where are the 14 employees going to park? Take away street parking from the residents of the apartments?
Once you have visited the site I think you will agree that there must be a better location. Businesses can very easily relocate.
The people who live around here and drive that intersection don’t want that business in this location. I agree with others I have heard, 8th Street East would be perfect.
I think it’s great that there will be a safe well run outfit to buy marijuana products. It’s been so long with no options locally. This is a great location. I drive by there every day and it is no more busy than plenty of other businesses. I think it will fit perfectly in this community. It’s a shame that only the negative opinions are given. Most people want this. Californians and especially our last cal citizens voted overwhelmingly for safe and legal access. And now we have an impressive figure like Jani Friedman proposing a dispensary? How exciting! I speak for the silent majority of locals who have been waiting for this for years and are extremely welcoming to the proposed location and operators. I hope they are not discouraged by the vocal minority. The Glen Ellen community is excited and looking forward to this. No more driving an hour away to purchase legal marijuana. Hooray to this!
Obviously you’re not a homeowner in this neighborhood. Your concern is an easier access to get high, my concern is my property value plummeting.
This is the perfect location.
Of course there will be cranky old neighbors and people using any excuse they can to stop this.
6 neighbors will try to ruin this for the rest of us in the area who LOVE this location for our local dispensary.
The bully neighbors all live on one side of the street across from the Mexican convenience store. They are all friends and always team up and hate on everyone and complain about people parking in front of their house. Why don’t they use their garage? Why do they thing they own the street and the neighborhood?
All I know is everyone I talked to in our Local area wants this dispensary and thinks it’s a perfect plAce.
I hope the powers that be don’t listen to the neighbors no one likes. All they do is complain and they use their kids to protest for them. It’s really a low blow.
We have kids and we live just as close as the protesting hater neighbors. We raised our kids better I guess because none of them think it’s a bad idea to have safe and regulated access to cannabis. They know the aren’t allowed and they don’t care because they don’t want it.
Are the angry neighbors kids going to go buy a gun at big 5? Will they go wine tasting down they street or buy a beer at the Mexican store right next door? It’s a stupid excuse to complain because you only care about your parking.
I hope we get the dispensary in our neighborhood. I know for sure that the wide majority of everyone in the neighborhood is excited about it. It’s a perfect place and we have waited too long for a local option.
This hateful neighbor always cause problems for all of us since we have moved here 7 years ago. Everyone else is so nice and we all love our kids too. But kids don’t go to dispensaries. Mine don’t even seem to be excited or care at all. The access to black market pot is wide. If the kids want it they will get it on the street. Why ruin this legal option for all of us by using your kids as the excuse for your hatred. Mind your own business and let us mind ours.
I hope this is opened soon. I don’t think it’s right that these few jerk neighbors can ruin things for everyone else.
Just my two cents,
Micah
@Micah -It’s not about parking, it’s about property values, & appropriateness. If you actually owned a home in this neighborhood, I’m sure that you would take offense to renters constantly parking in front of your house also. Back on point; the folks who are not in opposition to this project, are primarily renters, and potential patrons who do not reside in this neighborhood. The folks that are in opposition to this project are homeowners, who are concerned about their property values, who also feel that this project is in an inappropriate site due to the fact that the project is being proposed in a neighborhood that is primarily 99% residential.