Albion receives notice of intent to apply for marijuana dispensary license

Rochester woman eyes 162 South Main St. for licensed cannabis retailer

ALBION – A Rochester woman has submitted paperwork with the Village of Albion that she intends to seek a license from the state to have a marijuana dispensary at 162 South Main St., unit 4.

That would be in the plaza that includes Subway, Family Dollar, Care Net of Greater Orleans, Rent-A-Center and Chia Sen.

Nicolene Sercu submitted a “Notification to Municipality” form to the village.

The Albion Village Board voted on Oct. 21, 2021 to opt in and allow legal marijuana dispensaries. Albion officials at the time said allowing the marijuana sites will make it easier for local residents to get the product in town, instead of driving to other communities and possibly putting others at risk on the roadways.

Village Board members also cited the potential tax benefits for the village. The state will have a 13-cent excise tax per $1 on the marijuana sales, and the village will get 3 of those cents per dollar.

However, Village Trustee Chris Barry opposed having licensed dispensaries in the village then and said at the Tuesday board meeting he continues to be against it.

The Village Planning Board on Nov. 9 had a public hearing about marijuana dispensaries and said the sites would be limited to areas in the village that are zoned general commercial – as long as they meet the regulations set by the state.

Those regulations keep dispensaries from at least 500 feet from a school and at least 200 feet from a church.

“We will use general commercial as an acceptable area but they still have to meet codes,” Karen Conn, the Planning Board chairwoman, said following a public hearing on the issue. “It’s up to them to find a spot and work with the code enforcement officer.”

Village Trustee Tim McMurray said the board will keep a close eye on the process, which he said is largely dictated by the state whether the dispensary is approved.

“We’ll follow up and do our due diligence,” McMurray said at the board meeting on Tuesday.