TUPPER LAKE – The Joint Planning Board gave two new businesses a green light to begin local operations during a special meeting Tuesday.

Board members granted special use permits for a St. Joseph’s Addiction Treatment and Recovery Centers clinic and the Connection Cafe a day after a public hearing on each proposed business. The plans for both were praised by locals at the hearings for their potential to reduce substance abuse in the community.

Russ Cronin, chief financial officer at St. Joseph’s, said the only step left for opening their outpatient clinic is putting a sign out front. Their facility will provide easier access to counseling for substance abuse and recovery for current St. Joseph’s clients in Tupper Lake. Outpatient substance abuse, addiction and mental health treatment and recovery services are also locally available through North Star Behavioral Health at its satellite office in the Adirondack Health Center in Tupper Lake.

The facility needed a special use permit to veer from its previous purpose as a cat shelter. The property at 190 Main St. is owned by Tom and Susan Lawson, who are leasing it to St. Joseph’s for five years at $1 for the first two years.

“I personally think it’s a great addition to the community,” said board member Shawn Stuart. “I think it’s very generous of the Lawsons to opt this facility, and obviously we have some great people who are going to operate it.”

“On behalf of the Tupper Lake Community Engagement Coalition, this is a big asset that we would really support,” said John Kopp, a TLCEC board member.

The coalition has discussed bringing Narcan workshops to the facility to equip locals with the training and materials needed to treat opioid overdoses in emergency situations.

Cronin said the clinic will be open within a few days.

The Connection Cafe, located at 123 Park St. on the corner with Mill Street, stemmed from an idea of the TLCEC to provide an outlet for creative youth to avoid the use of drugs and alcohol to relieve boredom.

The storefront was originally planned as an outlet for Jennifer Walsh to sell her baked goods and various items from other home processors she met at craft markets around the state. Walsh and Kopp, the Connection’s co-owners, decided to tack on an arts and music venue called Mod 18, where there will be artistic workshops and performances from regional youth and artisans.

Kopp said he hopes to open the cafe by Monday if this weekend’s state Department of Agriculture and Markets inspection goes well. Hours of operation will be 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

There was no Adirondack Club and Resort representative to present a monthly update on the resort’s progress at the meeting, as previously requested by Planning Board Chairman Jim Larkin.