An Oklahoma-based cannabis retailer is one step closer to setting up shop in Oak Park Heights.
The Oak Park Heights Planning Commission voted Thursday night to recommend a conditional-use permit for a retail cannabis business to open in the space currently occupied by Joseph’s restaurant.
Mango Cannabis, as the business would be known, is expected to occupy the entire building at 14608 60th St. N. and Joseph’s is expected to move to a different location in the area, according to a staff memo.
“The location has not been identified yet that I am aware of,” City Planner Scott Richards said of the restaurant’s move on Thursday night. Representatives from Mango Cannabis said the restaurant’s owners have other real estate holdings and are working on a relocation.
The planning commission approved the recommendation 3-1 with Commissioner Jennifer Van Dyke casting the sole vote against. Commissioner Blake Van Denburgh was not in attendance.
“This is going to impact our community, it’s going to make it worse and it’s going to cost us money,” Van Dyke said. “People are going to come over the border (of Wisconsin); our community is already a drive-through,” she said.
Oak Park Heights is located on the St. Croix River, which is the Minnesota-Wisconsin border. Wisconsin has not legalized recreational cannabis. The highway bridge which spans the river passes through the suburb.
The only resident who spoke during the public comment period Thursday was opposed to the dispensary’s proposed location and expressed concerns about substance abuse, an increase in police presence and increased loitering.
Joseph’s
Joe Kohler first opened Joseph’s 1981. A beloved local eatery, the restaurant is known for serving old-fashioned favorites and an assortment of pies.
In 2022, Kohler announced his retirement and local restaurateurs, the Leon family, took over.
Joseph’s owner Sam Leon did not return a Pioneer Press request for comment.
Mango Cannabis
Minnesota would be the fifth state for Mango Cannabis, which started in Oklahoma. Other locations can be found in New York, Michigan and New Mexico.
The application for a conditional-use permit to operate Mango Cannabis was submitted by Kevin Pattah, of ABJKM Holdings, and Boundary Waters Capital.
The property, which is zoned B-2 General Business District, allows cannabis retailers under a conditional-use permit.
Buffer requirements for a cannabis shop include a setback of 1,000 feet from a school property line and 500 feet from a daycare building, residential treatment facility or an attraction within a public park that is regularly used by minors, per the city’s zoning ordinance.
The property meets these requirements, according to city documents.
Boundary Waters Capital has received preapproval from the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management for a microbusiness license, which allows for the sale of cannabis products.
While Thursday’s meeting cleared another hurdle for Mango Cannabis, final approval is needed from the city council, which is expected to discuss the dispensary Oct. 28.
Other dispensaries
The city ordinance for Oak Park Heights currently allows up to four cannabis retailers, said City Administrator Jacob Rife.
In July, the Oak Park Heights City Council approved plans for the city’s first retail cannabis business, Oak Park Heights Canna.
That business, located at 14729 60th St. N. near Carbone’s Pizzeria & Pub, is currently working with architects and contractors to prepare the space for build out, Rife said. Oak Park Heights Canna is expected to open sometime next year.
As of Thursday, the city had no other applications for cannabis retail, Rife said.
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