Planet Nugg eyes rustic themed marijuana dispensary in Aquebogue

Planet Nugg, the galactic-themed marijuana dispensary that opened in East Farmingdale last year, is setting its sights on the North Fork.

The business is planning to open a second location on Main Road in Aquebogue, co-owner David Tubens said Friday. It would join two other dispensaries that have opened in Riverhead Town: Beleaf on Middle Country Road in Calverton and Strain Stars on Route 58 in Riverhead. Another proposal on Route 58 and Ostrander Avenue is making its way through the town and state approval process, while developers of two other proposals are suing the town over zoning board denials.

Tubens, of Dix Hills, said he mirrored opening a dispensary on how he built his chiropractor practices. "We believe that an educated patient, or an educated consumer, is the best way to go," he said in an interview. "We try not to make it like a head shop. We try to make it an experience where anybody, whether they’re a casual user or seasoned veteran, feels welcome there."

In Farmingdale, Planet Nugg offers a range of products from marijuana flower and vapes to edibles, tinctures and beverages used both recreationally and medically for managing pain, anxiety and other issues.

Tubens said the Aquebogue store will have a similar selection.

But instead of a galaxy theme with aliens and a UFO logo, Tubens said the business may take a more refined approach in the heart of wine country with cedar plank siding and other rustic touches.

"We want to be really good neighbors to everybody out there," he said. "We’re not even sure we’re going to call it Planet Nugg. We might call it the North Fork Cannabis Company to fit in with the area."

Tubens said he hasn’t set an opening date yet but hopes it's up and running in the next three months.

State records show a license for a retail dispensary at the property, 720 Main Rd., is pending. The site complies with Riverhead Town rules for dispensaries and Tubens is awaiting site plan approvals from the town before he begins renovations.

The vacant building is a former restaurant that sold for $1.6 million in June, according to Suffolk County property records.

If approved, Planet Nugg would be the easternmost dispensary in Riverhead and the closest to Southold Town, which opted out of allowing recreational marijuana sales in 2021.

"The farther east you go, the more they don’t want to really go into the heart of Riverhead; they just don’t like traffic out there," Tubens said, adding he expects to draw customers from points east.

Another dispensary planned at a former car dealership at the corner of Route 58 and Ostrander Avenue in Riverhead won preliminary site plan approval from the town's planning board on July 3. State records show no dispensary license has been approved for that site.

Two other proposed dispensaries were denied variances by the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals because they were either not along a major commercial corridor or are too close to a school. Lawsuits over those denials are ongoing.

Some residents are expressing concern over the expansion of cannabis stores in Riverhead. An online petition had about three dozen signatures Friday and states, "the magnitude is worrying."

Riverhead Town zoning allows one dispensary along three commercial corridors: Route 25A in Wading River, Middle Country Road in Calverton, Route 25 in Aquebogue and Route 25 in Jamesport.

Multiple cannabis dispensaries are allowed on the Route 58 commercial corridor, but must be 2,500 feet apart, according to town code. Town planning officials have estimated a maximum of seven dispensaries could open under those rules.