Only three businesses remain in the race to open Chico’s first-ever dispensaries, and they may all potentially be awarded permits to do so by the end of the month.

The city is entering the fourth and final phase of the application process that began over a year ago. It started with 23 applicants with each phase seeing some be eliminated.

The city council addressed its final appeal by those who did not make the phase-four cut this week. The final three, listed as Chico Flagship LLC, Responsible & Compliant Retail Chico and Sweet Flower Chico on the city’s website, are now headed to public hearings with the city manager.

In a statement to KRCR, Chico City Manager Mark Sorensen writes:

With the last appeal resolved, we are preparing the information to meet the public noticing requirements and planning the details for Phase 4 hearing. We expect that Phase 4 hearing to occur in late August.

Three storefront business permits are being awarded in total, but when the stores will actually open is unclear. City officials tell KRCR that they are working to meet their initial deadline of the end of this year but acknowledge the building process for each individual store could extend past that.

The city has already awarded five permits for manufacturing and distribution-only businesses in March.