Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
With local business experiencing significant losses in sales revenue since the opening of the bypass, the Willits City Council is looking at cannabis cultivation as a positive revenue stream. The council is tasked with providing city staff with feedback on the current draft of the city's medical marijuana ordinance at its meeting tonight.
According to a staff report, staff is proposing to amend the zoning code to regulate medical cannabis uses consistent with the Medical Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MCRSA) including indoor cultivation, manufacturing, dispensaries testing and research facilities, distribution and delivery services and transportation.
The ordinance identifies certain land use designations in which each potential cannabis business is allowed to operate along with standards for each type of business including agricultural, residential and industrial facilities.
One such standard would require odor from the planting, cultivation and other processing of cannabis not be detectable from beyond property boundaries.
An ad-hoc committee of Mayor Gerry Gonzalez and Councilwoman Madge Strong has been working with staff on an ordinance since January to establish a set of medical marijuana policies consistent with new state laws. In addition to Gonzalez and Strong, the ad-hoc committee includes City Planner Dusty Duley, the draft's lead writer, Police Chief Scott Warnock, building official John Sherman, and City Attorney Jim Lance.
Members of the public had an opportunity to review the draft ordinance at a community forum held on May 25 where approximately 40 people attended and provided feedback. In a memo to the council discussing this year's proposed budget, City Manager Adrienne Moore cited the cannabis industry as a positive indicator for future economic stability in Willits.
Moore told the council there was no shortage of interested parties, adding city staff is aware of four proposed projects currently, all of which would be located in industrial zones. Moore stated the revenue from cannabis could easily bring in several hundred thousand dollars of revenue per year, in addition to creating jobs.
"The process itself takes quite a bit of time," Strong said. "I think that the ordinance in front of the council is very close to what will be the final version."
Strong added that, in her estimation, the ordinance is about 90 percent finalized, with only minor edits and revisions added to the latest draft presented to the full council for review.
According to Strong, the council will see if there are any slight changes in policy direction after holding a public hearing on the draft.
She said one of the controversial issues which needs to be addressed by the council is whether to open up medical activities land uses to more zoning areas and whether dispensaries should be allowed in the community commercial (C1) district areas.
Both medical and recreational marijuana use legislation give local governments the flexibility to ban or regulate any type of medical or recreational cannabis business licenced under the laws, "For example, a city may ban recreational cannabis businesses, but allow medical cannabis businesses," the staff report said.
Duley's report to the council states even though the city allows qualified, licensed medical patients or their caregivers to cultivate up to six marijuana plants within "a fully enclosed and secured structure" on an individual parcel, the ordinance proposes to extend the provision to non-medical cannabis users consistent with state regulations.
In regard to dispensaries, the committee is recommending that up to three dispensaries be allowed to operate within limited industrial, heavy industrial, and heavy commercial (C2) zoning districts.
The proposed ordinance also addresses testing and research facilities, distribution and transportation and permitting.
Based on community feedback on issues such as the lifting of sign limitations, the use of greenhouses for cultivation and manufacturing and permitting, staff will continue to work with the committee and with residents to revise the ordinance. Currently the city is working on completing a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review. The final draft and environmental documents are expected to be brought back to the council for potential adoption at a future meeting. Strong said this process is going to take at least a month and a half, but people still need to apply for permits after that process is completed.
"It will probably be January 1 before we have a business operating," she said. "People don't realize how long everything takes."
Duley said although the two members of the committee have been working on providing direction to staff on the draft all along, there are still three council members who have yet to weight in on any possible revisions to the proposed ordinance.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Willits cannabis ordinance closer to completion
Author: Ariel Carmona Jr
Contact: Contact Us
Photo Credit: Jeff_Chiu
Website: News, Breaking News and More: Willits News
According to a staff report, staff is proposing to amend the zoning code to regulate medical cannabis uses consistent with the Medical Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MCRSA) including indoor cultivation, manufacturing, dispensaries testing and research facilities, distribution and delivery services and transportation.
The ordinance identifies certain land use designations in which each potential cannabis business is allowed to operate along with standards for each type of business including agricultural, residential and industrial facilities.
One such standard would require odor from the planting, cultivation and other processing of cannabis not be detectable from beyond property boundaries.
An ad-hoc committee of Mayor Gerry Gonzalez and Councilwoman Madge Strong has been working with staff on an ordinance since January to establish a set of medical marijuana policies consistent with new state laws. In addition to Gonzalez and Strong, the ad-hoc committee includes City Planner Dusty Duley, the draft's lead writer, Police Chief Scott Warnock, building official John Sherman, and City Attorney Jim Lance.
Members of the public had an opportunity to review the draft ordinance at a community forum held on May 25 where approximately 40 people attended and provided feedback. In a memo to the council discussing this year's proposed budget, City Manager Adrienne Moore cited the cannabis industry as a positive indicator for future economic stability in Willits.
Moore told the council there was no shortage of interested parties, adding city staff is aware of four proposed projects currently, all of which would be located in industrial zones. Moore stated the revenue from cannabis could easily bring in several hundred thousand dollars of revenue per year, in addition to creating jobs.
"The process itself takes quite a bit of time," Strong said. "I think that the ordinance in front of the council is very close to what will be the final version."
Strong added that, in her estimation, the ordinance is about 90 percent finalized, with only minor edits and revisions added to the latest draft presented to the full council for review.
According to Strong, the council will see if there are any slight changes in policy direction after holding a public hearing on the draft.
She said one of the controversial issues which needs to be addressed by the council is whether to open up medical activities land uses to more zoning areas and whether dispensaries should be allowed in the community commercial (C1) district areas.
Both medical and recreational marijuana use legislation give local governments the flexibility to ban or regulate any type of medical or recreational cannabis business licenced under the laws, "For example, a city may ban recreational cannabis businesses, but allow medical cannabis businesses," the staff report said.
Duley's report to the council states even though the city allows qualified, licensed medical patients or their caregivers to cultivate up to six marijuana plants within "a fully enclosed and secured structure" on an individual parcel, the ordinance proposes to extend the provision to non-medical cannabis users consistent with state regulations.
In regard to dispensaries, the committee is recommending that up to three dispensaries be allowed to operate within limited industrial, heavy industrial, and heavy commercial (C2) zoning districts.
The proposed ordinance also addresses testing and research facilities, distribution and transportation and permitting.
Based on community feedback on issues such as the lifting of sign limitations, the use of greenhouses for cultivation and manufacturing and permitting, staff will continue to work with the committee and with residents to revise the ordinance. Currently the city is working on completing a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review. The final draft and environmental documents are expected to be brought back to the council for potential adoption at a future meeting. Strong said this process is going to take at least a month and a half, but people still need to apply for permits after that process is completed.
"It will probably be January 1 before we have a business operating," she said. "People don't realize how long everything takes."
Duley said although the two members of the committee have been working on providing direction to staff on the draft all along, there are still three council members who have yet to weight in on any possible revisions to the proposed ordinance.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Willits cannabis ordinance closer to completion
Author: Ariel Carmona Jr
Contact: Contact Us
Photo Credit: Jeff_Chiu
Website: News, Breaking News and More: Willits News
