18-02-2025
Aldermen to vote on cannabis consumption lounge, Riverfront Trail design
Residents and visitors to Danville may soon be able to consume cannabis on-site in a reservation-only consumption lounge at Seven Point Dispensary. At tonight's City Council meeting, aldermen will vote on whether to amend Chapter 150 of the city's code, which previously prohibited on-site consumption of cannabis at dispensaries in the city.
Seven Point's plan to open the lounge has been in the making since at least 2022, when CEO Brad Zerman first brought the idea before City Council.
At that time, Danville Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr. was opposed to the idea, primarily due to safety concerns over guests leaving the lounge while still under the influence of cannabis.
'I still have concerns about public safety,' Wiliams told the Commercial-News, saying his concerns have not been alleviated since 2022.
'It almost seems like you're encouraging people to drive high, which I don't think is a good idea,' Williams said. 'A person can go to a bar and have a drink or two and could spend some time sobering up. But if you're in a room while people continue to smoke, there's almost no chance you're leaving sober.'
At Seven Point's presentation to Danville's Zoning and Planning Commission earlier this month, Zerman and others from his team explained how industrial air filters in the lounge would remove smoke from the air, preventing a smoky atmosphere.
The regular City Council meeting will be held tonight at 6 p.m. at City Hall. Public comments will be allowed before the vote happens.
Vermilion Riverfront Trail Design agreement
During the Public Works portion of the meeting tonight, a professional service agreement for a concept design of the long-anticipated Vermilion Riverfront Trail will be voted on by the aldermen.
Back in 2022, the Golden Nugget Casino donated $3 million to the City of Danville with $1 million earmarked for a riverfront trail and park. Work on the project was halted, however, when crews ran into issues underground.
'We had a sewer issue that arose there that we had to redo, and we couldn't do any work until we got that work done,' Williams said, adding that there were also some topographical issues on the southeast side of the loop that would have prevented stairs being built.
If the proposal from RJN Group, Inc. is accepted, the project will cost the city $240,600, which will come from Fund 402, the city's storm and sanitary sewer fund.
