Coachella council to vote on possible dispensary/coffee shop
The Coachella City Council is scheduled to vote on July 24 on a proposal that could turn a vacant downtown building into a cannabis dispensary and coffee shop.
An old empty building at 791 Orchard Street in Coachella is the original proposed site for “Rootz Coachella”, a location for which there is already an agreement to lease.
It’s about a block from city hall, one block from a medicinal marijuana dispensary, and one block from the new library.
A father of five, who lives on the other side of nearby Grapefruit Boulevard offers mixed feelings on the site.
“About the pot, well, I don’t indulge in it, like i said. But, it would be nice for some people. But the coffee shop definably, be good,” said Luis Hernandez.
Others we spoke with on the street told us the building, built in 1949, was once used as a doctor’s office.
But, when plans to turn the place into a cannabis business went public, opposition surfaced.
“A number of people who live in the neighborhood around the building spoke out against a cannabis business at the Orchard Street location during two public meetings in May.
The other possible location for the business is an undeveloped parcel near the intersection of Avenue 48 and Grapefruit Boulevard.
News Channel 3 has learned it is the location preferred by the business owner, John Russo, who says he wants to respond to community members, including some on the council, who don’t want the business to open on Orchard Street.
“We acknowledge that both council and community did not like it. I hope that the council considers that we’ve taken a step back, and we’re reassessing things for the benefit of everybody,” said Russo.
If the business was approved for the location at Grapefruit Boulevard and Avenue 48, the council would have to first rezone the parcel, and a new building would be built.
Russo tells us he hopes the council “transfers” his application for the conditional use permit to the new location on Grapefruit Boulevard.
News Channel 3 will keep track of what action the council takes, and keep you updated on air and online at KESQ.com.
