A Dispensary Next to a Daycare? The Fight Over Croton's First Cannabis Shop

Key Actions & Decisions

• ◆ Dispensary Application Filed: A change-of-use application seeks to convert the Dairy Mart at 370 South Riverside Avenue into a cannabis dispensary, the first proposed in the village
• ◆ Daycare Proximity Concern: Happy Hearts Take Two daycare, serving infants through age 12, operates directly adjacent at 365 South Riverside Avenue
• ◆ State Distance Rules: Village Manager Bryan Healy stated New York State determined the location meets applicable distance requirements, though pending legislation (S7275) could add daycares to the 500-foot buffer
• ◆ Village Opted In by Default: In 2021, the Board voted 5-0 to opt out of on-site consumption lounges but deliberately did not opt out of retail dispensaries before the December 31 deadline
• ◆ 500-Foot Buffer Enacted: In May 2022, the Board adopted Local Law 5-2022 adding a 500-foot buffer between cannabis shops in commercial zones
• ◆ Prior Proposal Failed: An earlier dispensary proposal near ShopRite (~2024) floundered due to state bureaucratic issues
• ◆ Revenue Reality Check: Peekskill projected $550,000 in cannabis tax revenue but received only $128,000; a single Croton dispensary might generate $30,000-60,000 annually
• ◆ Planning Board Review: The application was scheduled for Planning Board discussion on April 14, 2026