PERRY Township – The board of trustees discussed plans to open a marijuana dispensary within the township in its meeting Monday.

Trustee Russ Sinsley said he had received “around 20 to 30 calls” from people opposing the plans by local business owner Mike Dombrowski to open a dispensary at 1965 N. Ellsworth Ave., previously the site of a Habitat for Humanity ReStore which shut down in December 2024. 

Sinsley said several objections to the location had been presented, including the property neighboring The Brightside Project, a local non-profit geared toward assisted youth in need, and a nearby bus stop. He also said one of the people who had objected to the project had been Brightside Project Board of Directors member Michael Greenamyer, and that he felt the trustees should discuss the project.

Dombrowski, the owner of Mike’s Meds and More, said he had spoken with The Brightside Project as well and that he has been receiving a “lot of mixed information” regarding the non-profit’s feelings on the project. He also stressed he intended to ensure it was clear the property was unaffiliated with The Brightside Project and was willing to work with them to assuage their concerns. He also noted bus stop locations change frequently. 

Dombrowski also said that since The Brightside Project is not legally classified as a school, nor as a church, as far as the state was concerned, there was no issue with the placement. 

Zoning Officer Dan Bowers said as far as the township’s local zoning restrictions, there were also no regulations preventing the property from being used as a dispensary. He also said he had been involved with inquiries to develop the property commercially for more than a year and had instructed The Brightside Project that many developers were interested in using the property as a dispensary.

“I had been involved since the first day. For the last year and a half, I have been contacted at least every other month regarding a dispensary, and I spoke with the Brightside [Project] in great depth and gave them the heads up even before [Dombrowski] was involved and that they were eyeballing this place and that they were not listed as one of those restricted facilities like a daycare or a school,” said Bowers.

Sinsley asked Dombrowski if he had applied for the required licensure to operate a dispensary from the state yet, and Dombrowski said he was in the process of filing the application. Dombrowski said he expected to finalize and file the application Monday, and that, barring any issues, he expected to receive approval in July and be operational in August. 

Dombrowski also confirmed the property he intended to use was 1965 N. Ellsworth Ave., and he had secured a lease to the property for the initial application and startup period. He said if it is approved, he intends to purchase it in the future. He also reiterated his intention to open a dispensary had begun approximately two years ago, intending initially for it to be within the city of Salem, after many of his pharmacy’s elderly customers expressed their difficulties and frustrations in having to travel to the dispensary in Alliance to obtain their medical marijuana prescriptions. 

Dombrowski said that since then, he has spoken with “over 1,000 people” about the project, and the majority are both in favor of the dispensary and Perry Township residents.

Bowers asked Dombrowski if the dispensary would be selling both medical and recreational marijuana products, which Dombrowski confirmed. However, Dombrowski said almost all the people he has spoken to about the project are interested in obtaining their medical marijuana prescriptions rather than recreational products. 

Regarding the sale of recreational marijuana products, Dombrowski said while there are now high concentration products available, he refuses to sell them. He also said as in the case of his pharmacy business, the dispensary will be required by state law to utilize an automatic recording system which tracks any marijuana purchased by an individual within the state limits. It is a system which he says will allow him to ensure someone isn’t purchasing large quantities of marijuana products for potential resale.

Dombrowski further argued that having a place to legally purchase regulated marijuana is far safer for the community than people attempting to purchase it illicitly and potentially receiving products laced with dangerous substances like fentanyl. Bowers echoed Dombrowski’s comments, noting he believed the ability to purchase marijuana legally from regulated dispensaries helped reduce accidental overdoses.

Resident John Ruth said that while he was not against having a dispensary within the township, he was opposed to it being located at the North Ellsworth Property. He said he was concerned it could negatively influence nearby children, could become a hub for loitering, and might create dangerous traffic conditions and trespassing issues for property owners on nearby streets, like the dead-end of Springdale Avenue where he lives.

Dombrowski said he wouldn’t permit people to loiter on the property, or to use the products they purchased there on site. He also said the license from the state only has a term for three years and if the location proved problematic, he would simply relocate the dispensary or shut it down when the term concluded, and the only reason he was planning to use that property was a lack of other viable options.

Trustee Tony Ieropoli said he had received calls from both city and township residents who support the dispensary, and that the tax revenue from the dispensary could help offset the township’s mounting operational expenses and reduce reliance on property tax levies. He also said he was personally in favor of permitting a dispensary within the township, noting it was beneficial for many to manage medical conditions and pain.

Trustee Chair Steve Bailey said he had researched what types of legislation the township is permitted to implement regarding dispensaries, and the only options were to pass a resolution setting a limit on the number of dispensaries within the township, or a resolution banning them outright. He said that personally he was neither in favor nor against permitting a dispensary in the township, but did have concerns with the North Ellsworth Location. However, he said he also felt one was going to be opened in the area eventually regardless of location.

Sinsley said he needed to review all the information which had been presented Monday before deciding whether he was in favor or opposed to the project. 

No action was taken. However, Ieropoli said he felt the trustees should place a resolution limiting the number of dispensaries within the township to one on the board’s agenda for one of its upcoming meetings in March.

The meeting concluded with an executive session for the discussion of pending legal proceedings with no action to follow.

The board of trustees will meet next at 4 p.m. on March 9.