Friday, April 9, 2021
Vol. 98, No.32
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Senior spotlight PAGE 63
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Village preparing to ‘opt out’ of cannabis sales
TRIUMPHANT RETURN
BY RIKKI N. MASSAND
A move to spur outdoor dining along the Village’s de facto restaurant row was approved on March 25, after a very successful season in 2020. The trustees’ granted the request of the Garden City Chamber to close Seventh Street from Franklin Avenue to Hilton Avenue every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening
During the Monday, April 5 Board of Trustees’ meeting, Village Trustee John Delany proposed that Garden City respond to the recent legalization of recreational marijuana in New York state by instructing village counsel to draft legislation to “optout” of allowing the sale of marijuana in the village. Under the new state law, while consumption of cannabis is now legal throughout the state, municipalities can refuse to allow the retail sale of the substance. Municipalities that opt out will not get to share in any tax revenue generated by cannabis sales. Delany, who’s now the longest-tenured village trustee since first being elected six years ago, told new Garden City Mayor Cosmo Veneziale about the State Legislature’s passing and Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s signature on the Recreational Marijuana law in March. “There’s also a provision in the law where New York municipalities including villages can opt out -- I recommend that we direct village counsel to draft legislation the Board can pass that will allow us as a village to opt out of the ability to have recreational marijuana sold in the village. I know we have ample time to do it but I’ve also been on the Board of Trustees long enough to realize that things happen pretty quickly. I’d prefer to have this legislation before us so we can have a public hearing, as this summer is coming, and I’d ask for us to have counsel draft this legislation now,” he said. Mayor Veneziale’s response was loud and clear: he said he agrees 100% with Delany that this was a good initiative to direct counsel to draft the legislation now. Village Attorney Peter Bee said, “the legislation that was enacted in Albany basically calls for a licensing process for retail stores, dispensaries and for on-site consumption of cannabis. Any facilities which plan to allow those sales or on-site consumption must be licensed by a New York State Cannabis Board which has unfortunately not yet been created.” Bee noted that such a local law ‘opting out’ can be passed by the Board of Trustees following a notice of a public hearing
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Garden City High School’s Girls Varsity Swimming and Diving team had two big victories last week. Above, seniors celebrate their return to the water. See page 65
Fun to return? Hopeful plans for summer events in Garden City BY RIKKI N. MASSAND The Village of Garden City and Chamber of Commerce have several annual community-centric events on the calendar, but as with most social scenes, they have been on hiatus for a year due to the pandemic. However, the 2021 Garden City schedule of events is beginning to have a brighter picture, in particular for the hub Seventh
Street/Franklin Avenue corridor and “T-Zone.” There are hopes that this year the pandemic restrictions imposed by New York State governor’s office and the Department of Health could ease. Accordingly the Village Board of Trustees allowed the Garden City Chamber to schedule several big events, albeit in a few modified formats as needed to comply with official guidance.
Outdoor dining returns
Outdoor craft times at GC Public Library PAGE 24 Alumna to host online benefit concert PAGE 20