Several changes have been made to Alma’s medical marijuana facilities ordinance and will now be sent back to the city commission.
A public hearing with the city commission to discuss the changed ordinance is suggested but has not been set yet.
Changes to the ordinance, and sending it back to the city commission, were recommended by the planning commission during its meeting Monday after taking into consideration public comments made at a city commission meeting last week and from a public hearing with the planning commission in early March.
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Once the public hearing at the city commission level takes place, the commission will introduce a final ordinance, then hold a second reading at a later meeting before it can vote to formally adopt the ordinance.
Changes to the ordinance were made after discussion by the planning commission.
The number of dispensary facility licenses has now been limited to up to three, while no more than two licenses can be distributed for grower, processer, secure transporter and safety compliance laboratories.
“Based on comments made at the public hearing and commission meeting, there was a concern that the limits were not restrictive enough,” said Aeric Ripley, Alma’s Assistant City Manager and Downtown Development Authority Director, on Tuesday. “The numbers were put in to make the ordinance more restrictive as requested by those public comments.”
Removed from the ordinance was language encouraging the use of a “big box” store for a potential location for a license; the closed Kmart store building is an example.
Added was a rule regarding odor control.
The draft indicates all odors coming from facilities may not permeate beyond a property line.
If odors are detected beyond the property line, the facility must get rid of the odor or the facility must be shut down.
“It’s stronger language so it doesn’t give any wiggle room,” Ripley said.
However, since the city has not created an application yet, the inclusion of a “warning” system or one using “strikes” is possible.
Distance requirements for all facilities has changed as well.
Now, all facilities must be 300 feet from any single-family residences, a single-family residential zoning district, city park, or kindergarten through 12th grade school.
“After these discussions, this seems reasonable,” Ripley said.
A state medical marijuana facilities license must also first be obtained for any license type before the licensee can obtain one from the city.
“This makes more sense for us because it helps with our staff time,” Ripley said.
By the time the city receives the application, the state will already have done necessary financial and criminal background checks from applicants, he said.
“This is a good step to address those concerns,” Ripley said. “Hopefully, this will give those folks who want to get into this business an opportunity to do that, and give opportunities for patients to receive medicine from a commercial entity as opposed to a caregiver.”