The people at Steep Hill Illinois have an idea about where they’d like to work when they start a cannabis testing lab in the city. John Tinsley and Nick Van Etten told the Plan Commission this week, they like the riverfront view they’d get at 130 E. Madison.
Commission member Debbie Burns doesn’t think that’s a good spot for it. She thinks it’s too close to Ottawa High School for any business involving cannabis. She also thinks the building’s more suitable for retail.
The recommendation going to the City Council next month is just for zoning updates, not for an actual permit for Steep Hill to start operating. The commission is recommending adding cannabis testing labs to the city’s D and E zoning classes for industrial areas. And it could be allowed as a conditional use, usually meaning if neighbors don’t object, in some commercial areas. Chairman Brent Barron says that reserves for City Hall some power to decide case by case.
John Tinsley from the company says Ottawa is a good location. He says it’s near Interstate highways and colleges with educational programs that support cannabis businesses.
Representatives of Steep Hill Illinois are interested in putting a cannabis testing lab in this building overlooking the Fox River in Ottawa.