What Happened Today: 
SOAR has just learned from the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) and Alderman Hopkins' office that the Zoning Administrator for the City of Chicago has ruled that Guidepost Montessori at Magnificent Mile qualifies as a school under the legal definition provided in state law. This school is within 500 feet of 620 N Fairbanks, and that makes the location ineligible to be used as a cannabis dispensary under the Chicago Zoning Ordinance. This is the position, with your support, that we have argued since the beginning of this process. This development prevents the dispensary applicant from moving forward with their hearing on the application in front of the ZBA on Friday March 15th.

What Happens Next:
We understand that the dispensary applicant will be appealing the Zoning Administrator's decision, and therefore will be asking for another continuance on Friday, in order to file their appeal of the Zoning Administrator's ruling. That appeal would then be heard at a future ZBA meeting (TBD), and if the ZBA upholds the Zoning Administrator's decision, then that is the end of their application with the ZBA (but they could take the matter further to the Circuit Court of Cook County). However, if the ZBA overturns the Zoning Administrator's decision, then the dispensary's hearing will proceed at yet another future ZBA hearing date (TBD).

You are welcome to attend the meeting this Friday March 15 at 2pm, however we are told that testimony will not be heard on this matter. You could also watch the livestream: https://vimeo.com/event/2354896

We will send out an update after the meeting on Friday with the new upcoming date for the appeal.