Cannabis dispensary developers propose grocery store, ice cream shop near downtown Pine Plains

PINE PLAINS — The developers behind the recently-approved cannabis dispensary on South Main Street plan to further develop the property with a grocery store and an ice cream shop.

Architect Kristina Dousharm appeared before the Planning Board on Wednesday, April 8, with plans to demolish three buildings at 7723 South Main St. and construct an 8,989-square-foot grocery store. An existing structure will be renovated for the planned ice cream shop.

Christopher Gumprecht — who owns the property under the name C.G. 79 Realestate LLC — and business partners Bryan Seiler and Benjamin Abrahams received approval for the cannabis dispensary in December 2025. That business will occupy a historic weigh station building on the property, which is separate from the proposed grocery store and ice cream shop.

Dousharm first introduced the additional concepts during the dispensary approval process, noting at the time that details were still preliminary but sufficient to meet environmental review requirements.

At Wednesday’s meeting, Dousharm argued that the prior environmental approval should still apply, saying the current proposal largely aligns with earlier plans.

Planning Board attorney Warren Replansky, however, pushed back, saying the board had clearly anticipated further environmental review once detailed plans were submitted.

Replansky cited the board’s Dec. 17, 2025, resolution, which stated that plans for the additional uses were not developed enough at the time to allow for “meaningful environmental review.”

The resolution also referenced guidance from Dutchess County Planning & Development that review could be deferred until the plans are "fully developed," and acknowledged that the Planning Board has jurisdiction to "conduct an additional" review.

"I don't know how it can be any more clear than that," Replansky said.

Planning Board members view plans for the proposed new grocery store and ice cream shop to be located at 7723 South Main St. on Wednesday, April 8. Photo by Nathan Miller

The exchange became tense, with back-and-forth between Replansky and Dousharm with occasional interjections from Planning Board Chair Michael Stabile, zoning enforcement officer Ed Casazza and town engineer George Schmidt.

Dousharm asserted that additional review under the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act was unnecessary — a claim that Schmidt and Stabile appeared to support — because the described plans largely align with the preliminary details provided last year.

Replansky responded by pointing out that the preliminary details described renovating an existing building for the grocery store. He said the demolition and subsequent construction of a brand new building constituted a significant change.

"The Planning Board has a duty to conduct a SEQR review," Replansky said. "The fact that you don't agree that it's necessary is irrelevant."

Stabile recalled the board telling the applicants to return for "technical review" once plans for the grocery store and ice cream shop were developed. Schmidt said the board can use technical review to determine whether differences from early plan details require further environmental review.

Dousharm said she would compile a list of differences between the current proposal and earlier plans to assist the board in making that determination.

The applicants must now seek a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals to exceed lot area coverage limits before returning to the Planning Board for further review.