For the last couple weeks, Centereach residents have debated whether a legalized cannabis dispensary should open on Middle Country Road (NY-25) in place of the Metropolis smoke shop just northwest of the interchange with Nicolls Highway (CR-97).
The debate was two-fold: rejuvenating Centereach, commonly referred to by its own residents as “pass-through” country of central Suffolk, and the age-old debate over the presence of cannabis in the community.
Setting Precedents
The proposal wasn’t a straightforward as-of-right development, a case in which a public conversation wouldn’t have had much bearing on the legal and procedural dependencies of the redevelopment. Instead, it was a matter of zone change, which further concerned some residents that the change of zone could set precedents for other developments and encroachments on private property.
“That alone had every Town Board member on edge,” said Councilman Neil Manzella (R-Selden), who shepherded the process from the beginning by sitting down with the applicant and answering community questions directly.
Manzella added that before his time on the Town Council started, the Town of Brookhaven had designated cannabis retail as industrial zoning. Since its statewide legalization in 2020 and continual rollout that’s seen two stores pop up in Medford, one in Farmingville, and another in Setauket, the issue from the municipal level could continue to evolve.
Leah Fitzpatrick, President of the Centereach Civic Association, and Linda Miller, President of the Selden Civic Association, were in attendance. Both have noted that the Middle Country area has been in desperate need of face lifts, and they do see a net positive in recent changes.
“We fought zone changes constantly because it sets precedents. We didn’t want to just easily go into that unless the proposal was truly beneficial for the neighborhood,” said Fitzpatrick. “But if it’s a specific spot like the Metropolis site, we’d literally be swapping out a smoke shop for another smoke shop. But a dispensary would be better quality.”
But the zone change element to this proposal allows for community input to be a deal-breaker on a project. Councilman Manzella stood by his constituents, despite personal disagreements with the stigma around cannabis usage, and shelved the proposal.
He has invited its applicant, who is opening The Joint Venture in Medford on April 20, to not waste his time and money on a lengthy process that still might get tossed. Instead, giving it another try in a year or two’s time might be the wiser play.
Still, Middle Country civic groups are not entirely pleased with the outcome, as they’d rather see a variety of legitimate businesses populate their de facto downtown, rather than see a slew of the same tenants that make Centereach what they call a “pass-through” hamlet. Their argument: some are not seeing the forest for the trees in terms of broader development and are instead getting stuck in the weeds on the morality of cannabis usage.
Cannabis: Here to Stay, but Loopholes Remain
Manzella led from an objective standpoint, comparing cannabis to alcohol, neither of which he consumes.
“Whether we like it or not, cannabis is legal. I personally don’t see a difference between alcohol and cannabis. I don’t use either, but applicants have the right under New York State law and Town Code to try to bring that business in,” said Manzella.
The stigma of a dispensary is also gradually fading by the wayside, but to many, smoke shops and dispensaries are synonymous.
That’s where Centereach and Selden stakeholders see the difference. Smoke shops, which are not regulated by New York State’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), not only sell illicit substances, but are a dime a dozen and generally considered an eyesore in a community begging for more retail and entertainment options. On the other hand, a dispensary and its products are regulated, not cut with street drugs, and can bring positive changes to a street corner.
“It’s the biggest conversation piece about a legal shop versus an illegal one. What we’re looking at with Metropolis is a legal smoke shop. They sell product-adjacent items. They can sell bongs, pipes, themed-items, and accessories, but not the product [marijuana] itself,” said Manzella. “But they’re all getting busted for selling illegal products repeatedly.”
Loopholes still exist, however, between State and local laws. Simply Green in Coram was a smoke shop that was then granted a State license to sell cannabis. However, it did not fit in with the Town’s ordinances to operate in its location as a dispensary. Despite them being licensed to sell the product, law enforcement cannot enforce the Town Code in that regard. Manzella thanked the applicant of the Centereach proposal for not abusing a loophole to take the easy way out, instead listening to the community and giving feedback.
Another example cited by Manzella and company was the transformation of the Expressions adult store property on North Ocean Avenue (CR-83) in Farmingville. Widely considered an eyesore for years, the property was razed and in its place came Cannablooms, a legal dispensary that also shares space with Expressions. The new structure visually improved the corner, while still offering a safer and legal alternative to trying one’s luck at the ubiquitous smoke shops.
