NILES — A City Council committee is largely in favor of welcoming medical marijuana businesses to the city, but they’d like to keep most of the related operations confined to the industrial park on the northeast side.
That means that growing operations, processing centers, transportation and storage and compliance will likely end up in the industrial park.
The location of dispensaries, however, is still under debate with one proposal on the table to sell the former Niles Post Office at 322 Main St. for use as a medical marijuana dispensary.
Richard Huff, city administrator, said the city could sell or possibly lease the building. It would take about $350,000 to make the historically significant building suitable for leasing.
But members of the Committee of the Whole balked at the thought of becoming landlords, especially Huff indicated that renovations could be included the terms of the sale.
With the exception of council members Robert Durn, 2nd Ward, and William Weimer,3rd Ward, most council members supported the concept of a downtown dispensary. Durn and Weimer called for more discreet locations such as in the industrial park.
Council member Tim Skalla, 4th Ward, said he would support a downtown medical marijuana dispensary, but urged that the ordinance keep them away from city parks.
Council member Charlie McAfee, 3rd Ward, said she believes sick people will benefit from a dispensary, no matter where it’s allowed.
“This subject is close to home for me,” she said. “I feel for people with pain. I feel that a person suffering with cancer would walk into a police station to relieve the pain.”
Huff is expected to begin crafting an ordinance establishing the zoning to allow the different types of medical marijuana businesses. Such an ordinance will undergo the usual public hearing process before it would come up for a council vote.
Huff warned the council that making the ordinance provisions too broad could backfire. “Any decisions (you make) can be expanded upon, but it can be difficult to roll back.”
If an ordinance is approved, it would have to be filed with the state, and businesses wishing to open up in the city would apply for licenses based upon the contents of the city’s ordinance, Huff explained.
Many towns and cities throughout Michigan are debating and crafting legislation that would allow the various types of medical marijuana businesses allowed by a state statute that was approved in 2016.
credit:southbendtribune.com
