Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
Benton County planners looking for public input on whether to allow commercial marijuana cultivation in the rural residential zone got what they wanted Wednesday night - and then some.
In a meeting on the topic at the Sunset Building, Community Development Director Greg Verret assured an audience of more than 40 people that no decision has been made yet on whether to allow commercial pot grows in unincorporated neighborhoods.
He acknowledged that there were strong opinions on both sides of the issue, but said the purpose of the meeting was to gather suggestions from residents about how to draft possible zoning regulations that might allow such a use in rural residential areas while protecting neighbors and property owners from any negative impacts.
"The idea is we're asking you to roll up your sleeves and get involved in public policy here," he said. "What we're wanting to do is figure out if there is a middle ground."
Some of the reactions he got suggest that middle ground may be hard to find.
One audience member wanted to know how he'd be compensated if cannabis cultivation lowered his property value, while another called for a show of hands to see how many in the room actually owned property in the rural residential zone.
That brought a response from a man who said that he was a rural property owner and thinks cannabis cultivation should be allowed there.
The audience broke up into small groups to hash out ideas for possible zoning regulations, but it wasn't immediately clear whether much progress was made toward a mutually agreeable solution.
While some tables appeared to be having productive discussions, others illustrated deep divisions over the issue. In one such group, a man who said he wants to grow marijuana on land near Alsea asked a woman who opposed the idea what it would take for them to come to a compromise.
Her answer was blunt: "I don't want a compromise," she said.
During a short informational presentation, county planner Linsey Godwin noted that state law limits commercial marijuana cultivation to 10,000 square feet for indoor operations and 40,000 square feet, or just under an acre, for outdoor plantations.
She also noted that there are 404 medical marijuana growing sites already operating in the county, which are limited to no more than 96 plants. Many of those sites are in the rural residential zone, and some of those growers have expressed interest in scaling up their operations for the recreational market.
Meanwhile, opposition to the idea also appears to be growing. At an Oct. 26 meeting, for instance, the South Benton County Citizens Advisory Commission issued a position paper against pot growing on rural residential land, and one man at Wednesday's meeting said he planned to circulate a letter opposing such operations among the county's rural property owners.
The Benton County Board of Commissioners has already amended county zoning rules to permit retail sales of recreational weed in general commercial zones, processing on agricultural and industrial land and wholesaling in agricultural and commercial zones. For now, commercial-scale growing is permitted on land zoned for agricultural, industrial and forest conservation use, but not in rural residential areas.
County planning staff will continue gathering public comment on the issue until Dec. 5. A follow-up meeting will be held on Dec. 8 to report on the planning process so far and discuss next steps (see box with this story for details).
If the Community Development Department decides to move forward with a proposal to allow commercial marijuana growing in the rural residential zone, public hearings would be held early next year. The matter will ultimately be decided by the Board of Commissioners.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Planners Get An Earful On Pot Grows
Author: Bennett Hall
Contact: 541-753-2641
Photo Credit: Anibal Ortiz
Website: Corvallis Gazette-Times
In a meeting on the topic at the Sunset Building, Community Development Director Greg Verret assured an audience of more than 40 people that no decision has been made yet on whether to allow commercial pot grows in unincorporated neighborhoods.
He acknowledged that there were strong opinions on both sides of the issue, but said the purpose of the meeting was to gather suggestions from residents about how to draft possible zoning regulations that might allow such a use in rural residential areas while protecting neighbors and property owners from any negative impacts.
"The idea is we're asking you to roll up your sleeves and get involved in public policy here," he said. "What we're wanting to do is figure out if there is a middle ground."
Some of the reactions he got suggest that middle ground may be hard to find.
One audience member wanted to know how he'd be compensated if cannabis cultivation lowered his property value, while another called for a show of hands to see how many in the room actually owned property in the rural residential zone.
That brought a response from a man who said that he was a rural property owner and thinks cannabis cultivation should be allowed there.
The audience broke up into small groups to hash out ideas for possible zoning regulations, but it wasn't immediately clear whether much progress was made toward a mutually agreeable solution.
While some tables appeared to be having productive discussions, others illustrated deep divisions over the issue. In one such group, a man who said he wants to grow marijuana on land near Alsea asked a woman who opposed the idea what it would take for them to come to a compromise.
Her answer was blunt: "I don't want a compromise," she said.
During a short informational presentation, county planner Linsey Godwin noted that state law limits commercial marijuana cultivation to 10,000 square feet for indoor operations and 40,000 square feet, or just under an acre, for outdoor plantations.
She also noted that there are 404 medical marijuana growing sites already operating in the county, which are limited to no more than 96 plants. Many of those sites are in the rural residential zone, and some of those growers have expressed interest in scaling up their operations for the recreational market.
Meanwhile, opposition to the idea also appears to be growing. At an Oct. 26 meeting, for instance, the South Benton County Citizens Advisory Commission issued a position paper against pot growing on rural residential land, and one man at Wednesday's meeting said he planned to circulate a letter opposing such operations among the county's rural property owners.
The Benton County Board of Commissioners has already amended county zoning rules to permit retail sales of recreational weed in general commercial zones, processing on agricultural and industrial land and wholesaling in agricultural and commercial zones. For now, commercial-scale growing is permitted on land zoned for agricultural, industrial and forest conservation use, but not in rural residential areas.
County planning staff will continue gathering public comment on the issue until Dec. 5. A follow-up meeting will be held on Dec. 8 to report on the planning process so far and discuss next steps (see box with this story for details).
If the Community Development Department decides to move forward with a proposal to allow commercial marijuana growing in the rural residential zone, public hearings would be held early next year. The matter will ultimately be decided by the Board of Commissioners.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Planners Get An Earful On Pot Grows
Author: Bennett Hall
Contact: 541-753-2641
Photo Credit: Anibal Ortiz
Website: Corvallis Gazette-Times
