A vacant building on Olive Boulevard is causing some controversy. The city of Olivette is considering using that property for a marijuana dispensary. If approved, Sunrise Dispensary would be the first dispensary in the city. “We’re not fully opposed to it, we just don’t want it in our backyard,” said Christina Hundley, an Olivette resident. A top concern for residents is increased traffic.

“It’s already pretty bad trying to make a left-hand turn out of here and then fighting the westbound traffic,” said Nathan Antoine. “The cars that speed down Olive and so with traffic cars coming onto residential streets is only going to make that worse.” Sunrise Dispensary said, if approved, the city of Olivette will gain $247,500 in tax revenue while also creating 35 jobs. The proposed Sunrise Dispensary at 9270 Olive Blvd meets all of the state and city criteria and will positively contribute to meeting the goals defined in the City’s Comprehensive Strategic Plan. This location on Olive Blvd sits within a major retail corridor and main thoroughfare with over 33,000 cars per day. Increase in traffic from this business will be negligible, particularly in comparison to recent nearby developments.