RRA News

PRESS RELEASE: Opposition to Proposed Marijuana Dispensary at 1200 Mamaroneck Avenue

Date: Wednesday, May 7, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Opposition to Proposed Marijuana Dispensary at 1200 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains
Contact: Rosedale Residential Association (RRA) Board of Directors, White Plains, NY
Email: wprra@yahoo.gov
Website: https://wprra.org/

 

COMMUNITY ALERT: Opposition to Proposed Marijuana Dispensary at 1200 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains

Dear Members of the Press,

We write to raise urgent concerns regarding the approval of a marijuana dispensary at 1200 Mamaroneck Avenue, located in the heart of the Rosedale residential area in White Plains, NY.

 

THE PROBLEM

This project has been approved in a primarily residential neighborhood—zoned for single-family homes, schools, places of worship, assisted living facilities, and horse farms—with zero community input or notification.

 

THE FACTS

  • No public hearings, community notifications, or resident votes occurred.

  • Nearly 1,000 local residents signed a petition in opposition: Petition Link
    https://www.change.org/p/cannabis-dispensary-at-1200-mamaroneck-avenue-white-plains-ny-10605

  • The retail dispensary license was approved by Mayor Thomas Roach and Building Commissioner Damon Amodio, despite residential zoning and overwhelming opposition.

  • No traffic study has been conducted—despite this location being across from Lombardo’s Pizza Restaurant on an already congested street.  All traffic coming from major highways would be forced to make an S-shaped U-turn on Mamaroneck Ave in front of Lombardo’s to enter the parking lot.

  • Part of the property lies within R1-30 single-family zoning and appears to be designated “Professional Use Only”—not retail or mercantile.

  • The city has offered no transparency, nor responded adequately to FOIL requests for building and zoning records and historic usage documentation.

  • Multiple schools are within 0.5 miles, including Ridgeway Elementary, Windward School, Harrison High School, ENA Learning Center, Boces, and Stepinac, among others.

  • Several places of worship are within a mile, including Young Israel of Harrison, Living Word Church, and Our Lady of Sorrows.

  • The Windward School and Living Word Church are located just 938 ft. and 720 ft. away, respectively.

  • The White Plains Building Department confirmed that no zoning changes have occurred since the 1940s.

Historic Zoning Background:

In 1977, the Rosedale Association recorded:

“The B-2 zone at Rosedale and Mamaroneck Avenues was created to allow small local businesses. In 1954, nearby undeveloped areas were upgraded to R-0 residential to reinforce the neighborhood’s residential character.”
—Richard L. Vernon, President, Rosedale Association (1977)

This suggests a significant portion of the site and its parking lot fall under residential designation.

 

WHITE PLAINS ALREADY HAS EIGHT DISPENSARIES

With eight existing cannabis dispensaries in a 9.77 square mile city, another location in a family-oriented neighborhood is neither necessary nor appropriate.

 

PROJECT TIMELINE

  • Jan 26, 2024 – Marbert Realty Assoc. sells the building to Stagg Group for $6.5M after decades of being unable to place a retail tenant.

  • March 3, 2024 – Ravinder Singh forms “1200 Mamaroneck LLC” (NY DOS ID #7282655).

  • May 29, 2024 – Stagg Group sells the property to Ravinder Singh for $8.5M.

  • Aug 2024 – Mayor Roach authorizes the dispensary at 1200 Mamaroneck Ave, license # OCM-RETL-24-000152 under RSSQ Holding LLC.

  • Dec 2024 – Apr 2025 – RRA attempts multiple FOIL requests, with responses citing lack of staff and digitization. The City offers minimal cooperation.

  • Jan 30, 2025 – Petition launched, nearing 1,000 signatures within two weeks.

 

OUR POSITION

We believe this approval violates the intent and purpose of this neighborhood’s zoning, and was done without community consent or transparency.

  • The building appears to be zoned Professional Use Only—not mercantile.

  • Religious families in our community strongly object to this type of establishment in proximity to children and places of worship.

  • Traffic concerns are unaddressed, with an increase in out-of-town visitors expected from highways like I-95 and the Hutchinson River Parkway.

  • Neighboring towns such as Harrison, Scarsdale, and Mamaroneck have all opted out of hosting dispensaries.

  • Even the building’s prior owners were repeatedly denied retail licenses—including a cannabis application.

We are not against legalized cannabis. We are against inappropriate placement of such businesses without resident input, transparency, or zoning clarity.

 

THE PARTIES INVOLVED

 

THE SUMMARY

This project is not a fit for Rosedale. Our area prioritizes children, safety, and family life.

There has been no valid justification for why this dispensary, out of all possible businesses, was allowed to open here—except a pattern of secrecy and circumvention.

We respectfully call upon the press to investigate the following:

  • Was proper zoning followed?

  • Why was there no public notice or hearing?

  • Why was this fast-tracked with limited record transparency?

  • What role did City Hall play in bypassing due process?

Residents feel blindsided and ignored. We are asking for answers and accountability.

 

FEBRUARY 2, 2025: LETTER TO MAYOR ROACH

To provide a full background, we invite you to read the following letter to White Plains Mayor Roach, the White Plains Common Council and all involved, sent from the RRA which outlines our original concerns and unanswered questions, which remain relevant today:

 

Subject: Community Concern Regarding Cannabis Dispensary at 1200 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains

Rosedale Residential Association <wprra@yahoo.com>

Date: Sun, Feb 2, 2025 at 10:13 PM

Reply-To: Rosedale Residential Association <wprra@yahoo.com>

To: Rosedale Residential <wprra@yahoo.com>

From: Rosedale Residential Association, PO Box 199, White Plains, New York, 10605

To:

    •    Public and Private Schools

    •    Parent Teacher Associations

    •    Childcare Centers

    •    Churches, Temples, Places of Worship

    •    Residents of White Plains

 

Date: February 2, 2025

Subject: Community Concern Regarding Cannabis Dispensary at 1200 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains

Dear Community Members,

It has recently come to our attention that an Adult-Use Retail Dispensary License was issued to RSSQ Holding LLC on August 9, 2024, White Plains Mayor Thomas Roach signed off on development approval, and a building permit was issued by the White Plains Department of Building to Mr. Ranjit Singh for the development of a cannabis dispensary at 1200 Mamaroneck Avenue, directly across from Lombardo’s Pizza, in the heart of the Rosedale, White Plains neighborhood.

As a community, we are deeply concerned about this decision, which appears to have been made without any public notification, hearings, or community input. Despite the significant impact this business will have on our neighborhood, there has been no outreach or transparency from the City of White Plains.

This decision was made without any notification to residents, public hearings, or a vote.

A retail license was approved in a neighborhood primarily zoned for single-family homes, schools, and places of worship.

Given the existing five cannabis dispensaries in White Plains’ 9.77 square-mile area, why is a sixth deemed necessary, particularly in a residential area?

This location is in close proximity to several schools and childcare centers, including but not limited to:

    •    Windward School: 905.49 ft, same street

    •    Leffell School: 2,544.46 ft

    •    Ridgeway Elementary School: 4,679.14 ft

    •    Harrison High School: 4,795.1 ft

    •    Ethical Culture Nursery School

    •    ENA Learning Center, same street

    •    Archbishop Stepinac High School, same street

    •    Our Lady of Sorrows School, same street

    •    Kids’ Base

    •    Louis M. Klein Middle School

 

In addition, there are several places of worship nearby, including:

    •    Living Word Christian Church: 780.89 ft, same street

    •    Our Lady of Sorrows Church, same street

    •    Ridgeway Alliance Church

    •    Young Israel of Harrison

Furthermore, given that the Rosedale Residential Association (RRA) is a long-standing and active group that works closely with city officials on neighborhood matters, why was there no outreach to the RRA or the community from those involved in the decision-making process? This lack of communication feels dismissive of a community that values its collaboration with the city.

This decision appears to have been made surreptitiously and without consideration of its impact on the residents of Rosedale. The absence of communication from city officials or the mayor’s office is alarming.

The residents of Rosedale are taking the following steps:

    1.    Notify the Parent-Teacher Associations of all schools within a two-mile radius to ensure parents are aware of this project and provide them with contact information for city officials.

    2.    Circulate a petition—both online and door-to-door—to halt this development until proper community input is gathered.

    3.    Contact local news outlets, including LoHud and News 12, to bring attention to this issue.

    4.    Distribute flyers and utilize social media to inform the community about this decision.

The Rosedale Residential Association believes it is essential to give residents a voice in decisions that impact the character and safety of our neighborhood. A cannabis dispensary does not align with the original intent of this area, which has historically been a community of single-family homes, schools, and places of worship.

We respectfully request that this matter be revisited, and that city officials take immediate steps to communicate with the residents of Rosedale regarding this development. Additionally, we urge Mr. Singh to consider reimagining his intended business and engage in dialogue with the community to address concerns.

 

 

ATTACHED VISUALS

We’ve included recent images of the storefront, which resembles an adult entertainment venue, complete with purple lighting and opaque window coverings—entirely inappropriate for a neighborhood filled with schools, houses of worship, and children.

 

WE ARE ASKING FOR HELP

We need media attention to ensure full transparency and to ask the hard questions about how and why this development was approved under the radar.

We respectfully request your support.

Sincerely,
RRA Executive Board of Directors
Rosedale Residential Association
wprra@yahoo.gov
wprra.org

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