New marijuana dispensary proposed for Woodstock

A new marijuana dispensary could be on the way to Woodstock.

Missouri-based Terrabis is seeking to open a dispensary at 611 S. Eastwood Drive. The property is a former Burger King and across the street from the Illinois Secretary of State’s office and the newly opened McHenry County Election Center. The dispensary is under contract to buy the former Burger King, according to city documents.

In Missouri, Terrabis has three locations in the St. Louis area and one in Springfield. Last year, the company opened a store in Grayville, in southern Illinois near the Indiana border, and plans a second Illinois dispensary in Plainfield off Route 59 this fall, according to the Terrabis website.

Notably, the drive-thru window at the former Burger King in Woodstock would be taken out, as drive-thru sales at dispensaries are banned by the state, according to city documents. The building is about 4,000 square feet, and current plans indicate the space will have a secured entrance, a dispensary floor, restrooms and a separate exit. Terrabis plans to update the building facade, landscaping and signage.

City documents also indicate marijuana consumption will be banned on dispensary grounds and people will have to take products home to consume. The dispensary also has a security plan that “would exceed State requirements,” the documents state. The proposal specifies building strong relationships with local law enforcement and having a third-party security company on-site during business hours. There also would be security camera surveillance at all hours, glass-break sensors and burglar alarms, according to city documents.

This is not the first time city officials have given the thumbs-up on a dispensary. Last year, the City Council gave its approval to Michigan-based Six Labs Inc. for a dispensary at 1411 S. Eastwood Drive, down the street from the newly proposed dispensary. City officials previously had given the company permission for a campus in town.

The vote had followed a few years of questions about security and the potential impact of having dispensaries in town, and whether any downside would outweigh the extra tax revenue it would bring to the city.

However, according to city documents, there hasn’t been any movement on the Six Labs dispensary. The permit the city approved is valid until May 2025. City staff indicated they reached out to the dispensary permit holders earlier this year but didn’t hear back, according to city documents.

The City Council is due to take up approval for the dispensary at its meeting starting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 121 W. Calhoun St.

Last year, five dispensaries opened in McHenry County, including in McHenry and Crystal Lake. Just across the county line in Lake County, a new dispensary touting boat parking on the Chain O’ Lakes opened in Fox Lake this summer.