Concerns raised by both in-person and virtual hearing attendees ranged from the character and image of Lake Placid to specific concerns about parking, traffic and safety at the intersection. About 15 people spoke during the hearing that lasted around 40 minutes.

Among the residents concerned about the reputation of Lake Placid was Village Justice May Chow.

“When I think of Lake Placid, I think of the Olympics and the athletes, and I don’t want to see this type of store or storefront coming in,” she said.

Some highlighted that the location is high-profile and visible, while other people commented on the dispensary being relatively close to residential areas, and voiced concerns about exposing kids to the drug.

“As we encourage drug prevention and education among children in our schools, we are giving a mixed message about the seriousness of this problem when locating a dispensary in the heart of our village,” said Olaf Carlson, a teacher at Lake Placid Central School.

Several members of the public were concerned about the proximity of the dispensary to churches, a synagogue and schools.

The board confirmed that the location does meet the state regulations that say dispensaries cannot be located within 500 feet of a school or 200 feet of a church.

Some spoke favorably about the idea of a dispensary, noting the benefits of tax revenue, but said they would prefer a more discreet location.

Medical cannabis was legalized in New York in 2016, with recreational use legalized in March 2021. There is currently one other dispensary in the Tri-Lakes, Elevate ADK, which opened in the Saranac Lake part of the town of North Elba in 2023. The tax revenue has provided a boost to the town, with grant money from the cannabis taxation funds going to support a variety of projects under the categories: youth, elderly community members and law enforcement.

Recent grants from this fund have gone toward renovations at Northern Lights School, purchasing a TruNarc handheld narcotics analyzer for the Lake Placid Police Department and helping cover the cost of competition for the Lake Placid RobOlympians robotics team.

Written comments about the proposed dispensary can be sent to the building and planning office until the board’s Aug. 6 meeting. At that point, the board will convene and decide how to move forward.

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Owner open to feedback

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The applicant for the dispensary is Freedom 35 Cannabis Company, and owner Gregory Johnson said the decision to open a dispensary in that particular building was constrained by a number of factors. With the existing laws, the building had to be located in specific corridors, meet specific criteria under state and local regulations and have proper permissions from the landlord.

“It’s not like you have a list to choose from,” he said. “Your pool of candidates for potential landlords is ridiculously small.”

Johnson said that while some concerns with the dispensary are a matter of opinion, and sometimes politics, he said the company is open to hearing any substantial concerns about things like noise, traffic and safety.

“We’re not trying to change their minds or to campaign for marijuana,” he said. “But we do want them to know that we hear them, that their voices are heard and their feedback matters.”

The company already has its license from the state and is waiting on final approval by the review board.

“It wasn’t our place to pass that legislation, we’re just here trying to operate within the confines of the democratic system and the laws, and to be respectful of the neighborhood,” he said.

The store will have a sign with a moose, according to Johnson, something he said is very “Lake Placid.”

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The next steps

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The Lake Placid-North Elba joint Planning Review Board will consider the public comments, including those submitted in written form, along with the existing laws and land use code requirements. These comments will be discussed at the board’s next meeting on Aug. 6 at 5:30 p.m.

In a statement read aloud before the hearing, board Chairman Rick Thompson clarified the applicable laws and relevant amendments to the land use code. In early 2024, the village and town land use code was amended to include three new allowed uses — adult use, on site cannabis consumption; adult use, retail cannabis dispensary; and smoke shop and tobacco vape store — in the village center, gateway corridor and Old Military Road areas.

In the town of North Elba, only dispensaries are classified as a conditional use, Thompson explained. Both dispensaries and on site consumption are conditional uses in the village, and are therefore allowed. This change was made following a 2021 referendum where village voters approved cannabis consumption sites and cannabis dispensaries.

“The proposed dispensary therefore can only be reviewed according to the specific requirements of the land use code, including, but not limited to, aesthetics, lighting, parking, traffic, circulation and landscaping,” Thompson said. “I’m making this so that everybody understands where our role is as a board.”