Published: 3/2/2018 11:22:27 PM
NORTHAMPTON — The City Council established zoning rules for recreational marijuana at its Thursday meeting, using existing regulations for medical marijuana as a guideline.
Four ordinances passed by votes of 8-0, with Ward 1 Councilor Maureen Carney absent.
Councilor At-Large William Dwight noted that the ordinance that dealt with the buffer zone between marijuana businesses and schools generated the most discussion during the subcommittee process.
During the council’s public comment time Thursday, Heather Warner, of the Strategic Planning Initiative for Families and Youth Coalition, suggested moving the buffer zone around a school from the current 200 feet to the 500 feet that’s standard under state law. The 200 feet was established for medical marijuana in Northampton, and the buffer zone for recreational marijuana must be the same, according to state law.
“Let’s increase the medical marijuana zoning, not decrease the commercial zoning,” said Warner.
In his comments, however, Dwight said that altering the buffer zone requirements wouldn’t affect any of the zones where marijuana businesses are being discussed, and that it would not reduce the ability of these businesses to be established.
“It’s not the mechanism by which to do this,” Dwight he said. “If that was the desire.”
The council did not set a cap on marijuana establishments, though Ward 2 Councilor Dennis Bidwell said that could be done by a separate ordinance. He said he had not yet formed a position on the matter.
Speaking on Friday, Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz said that the city was looking to get the zoning rules in place before marijuana businesses start applying for licenses on April 1, as state zoning regulations for marijuana would apply if local zoning wasn’t in place. The council is set to vote on the ordinances in second reading on March 15.
Narkewicz also said that the city waited until January to file its zoning so that it could see the draft regulations first.
The City Council’s finance committee also gave a positive recommendation on adopting the local 3 percent tax on marijuana. However, the proposal was not voted on by the entire council because it was left off the budget due to an error.
Bera Dunau can be reached at bdunau@gazettenet.com.