City commission to hold public hearing discussing medical marihuana facilities May 29
Mount Pleasant community members will have the opportunity to give the city commission their input on having medical marihuana facilities in the city during a public hearing at 6:30 p.m., May 29 in City Hall.
The hearing will allow the community to express their opinions and concerns about the draft ordinances regarding the Michigan Medical Marihuana Facilities Licensing Act. The ordinances are essentially the rules and regulations that would have to be followed by anyone who wishes to own a facility in Mount Pleasant.
The ordinances state that all five types of medical marihuana facilities would be allowed: growers, provisioning centers, processors, secure transporters and safety compliance. No more than three of each type would be allowed, and if more than three potentials candidates apply for a specific type of facility, a public meeting would be held to randomly select three applicants.
All types of facilities would be permitted in the city's industrial and commercial zones within designated areas, including portions of downtown Mount Pleasant, as well as Mission and Pickard St.
A facility would not be permitted to be within 1,000 feet of a public or private K-12 school. It would also not be permitted to be within 500 feet of Central Michigan University, unless it is located east of the main campus and east of Mission St.
If approved, these ordinances would "opt in" to the state law, and allow facilities to operate in Mount Pleasant within certain limitations.
City Manager Nancy Ridley said the city commission is seeking public input because they have spent over a year trying to come up with "a balance of ordinances that benefit medical marihuana patients while trying to prevent potential consequences" that may arise from having the facilities in the city.
If the ordinances are approved, those who wish to operate a facility may potentially be able to begin the application process on Oct. 1 through Nov. 30. They would have to obtain a special use permit and attend a public hearing with the Planning Commision as well as anyone who owns property within 300 feet of the facility's potential location. After that, they would still need to obtain state-level approval through the state's licensing process.
"Basically, that's just a long way of saying that it will be a long time before there is actually a medical marihuana facility in Mount Pleasant," Ridley said.
Ridley said there is a provision in the in the draft ordinances that basically allows for a "one-year review process." At the end of 2019, City Commission will reflect on the entire process and any medical marihuana facilities that will be in Mount Pleasant by that time. This allows for the city to learn from the process and, after one year, revise anything that may need to be revised.
The complete draft of the ordinances and more information can be found on the city's website.
