County Commissioners unanimously authorised modifications to the county zoning rules to permit recreation marijuana within the I-2 heavy industrial areas, the place medical marijuana is already allowed.
A number of folks spoke, asking commissioners to disclaim permitting leisure marijuana resulting from well being and security considerations, however Commissioner Joe Briggs mentioned denying it in zoning wouldn’t cease it from coming into the county.
The zoning simply determines the place authorized retailers can function throughout the county.
The modifications don’t have an effect on the Metropolis of Nice Falls, the place marijuana dispensaries, medical and leisure, stay prohibited.
County set to take final action on zoning changes for recreational marijuana
Commissioner Joe Briggs mentioned mentioned the I-2 zoning is essentially the most constricted availability of land within the county and that officers allowed marijuana dispensaries in that zoning district to maintain them away from colleges, group facilities, church buildings and leisure areas.
“It’s the place you set the stuff you don’t need folks residing by,” Briggs mentioned of the I-2 zoning district.
He mentioned that the shortage of commercial land would possible restrict the variety of marijuana retailers within the county.
“We have now performed what we are able to do to restrict them,” he mentioned.
Briggs mentioned he didn’t assume it was sensible to ban leisure marijuana within the county since it will are available anyway and the county may as properly get the tax income from the gross sales.
Montana Supreme Court denies request to remove judge from marijuana case against Cascade County
The state will impose a flat 20 % tax on leisure marijuana and native governments can ship the query to the poll for a 3 % native choice tax. Missoula, Park and Yellowstone counties have enacted such a tax.
Commissioner Don Ryan mentioned that these within the marijuana trade are going to problem the county for his or her restrictions since they need it to be extra extensively out there within the county.
Commissioner Jim Larson mentioned that “this was as conservative as we might get and keep throughout the legislation as proposed by the voters and the Legislature. Can we agree with the voters and the Legislature, in all probability not, however that is the most effective we might do.”
County approves intent to change zoning for recreational marijuana
In November, commissioners voted unanimously to just accept the modifications, beginning a 30-day remark interval, throughout which one written remark was obtained in opposition to the modifications, in accordance with county planning workers.
The modifications have been initiated by the county planning division resulting from a latest state legislation change.
In October, the county planning board voted unanimously to undertake modifications proposed to the zoning rules associated to leisure marijuana.
The modifications are the results of I-190, the Montana Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, which was authorised by Montana voters in November 2020. The legislation goes into impact Jan. 1, 2022.
County planning really useful definitional modifications to replicate the modifications within the legislation and really useful that or not it’s handled like medical marijuana beneath the present zoning rules. which is barely permissible with a land use allow within the heavy industrial zoning district and maintaining the identical setback from worship and academic services, in accordance with Charity Yonker, planning director.
County planning board votes to recommend zoning changes for recreational marijuana
The one change made by the planning board was to make use of “marijuana enterprise” as a substitute of “marijuana use” since that was complicated for the board members and so they anxious that it will be complicated to the general public.
County considering zoning changes for recreational marijuana
To adjust to the brand new state legal guidelines, the county planning workplace started work to revise the county’s zoning rules.
The proposed amendments solely apply to the Heavy Industrial I-2 district. Presently, in accordance with the workers report, I-2 is the one district the place medical marijuana is allowed as a permitted principal use that requires a location/conformance allow, topic to necessities of the district and medical marijuana setbacks.
County denies expansion of medical marijuana into more zoning districts [2020]
The setback for medical marijuana is 500 ft from colleges and worship services. It had been 1,000 ft till the county modified it to 500 ft final yr.
