Neighbors of a deliberate medical marijuana dispensary in Kent are involved about its location close to households, the doorway the Kent State College, fraternity homes and town’s Portage County Municipal Courthouse.
The enterprise, Barely Toasted, is planning to open at 331 E. Essential St. and introduced web site plans and a request for conditional zoning to town’s planning fee this week. The panel didn’t vote, nevertheless, after listening to from neighbors and figuring out there have been further particulars wanted within the web site plan earlier than a vote.
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Listening to fee members’ considerations, property proprietor James Dulick requested and was granted a continuance, which can allow him so as to add particulars to the location plan requested by fee members.
Following a dialogue amongst fee members, Fee Chair Amanda Edwards stated the up to date plans ought to embrace the situation of an enclosed trash bin, the particular dimensions of fencing enclosing a supply space, a panorama plan and a lighting plan complying with state necessities for medical marijuana dispensaries.
Nevertheless, a number of neighbors advised fee members that they don’t consider the situation is an acceptable one for a medical marijuana dispensary.
“There’s a number of households,” stated Sharon Perkowski, a North Willow Road resident. “We even have St. Pat’s Faculty, which is additional away, however we’ve a number of kids that stroll round that space. We even have a park that’s a part of the Kent Metropolis Faculty board workplace space. We even have a mosque in our space, and we get a number of households going to the mosque. We’ve a number of companies. We’ve a household enterprise that is been there for a very long time — Martin’s dental workplace.”
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Nevertheless, based on Kent Metropolis Engineer Tim Sahr, the constructing can be positioned greater than 100 toes from the residential district, which is the first setback rule with which the dispensary should conform. The dispensary additionally should not be positioned inside 500 toes of a church, public library, public playground or public park.
Dr. Chris Martin, who owns Martin Dental Care, which is positioned simply east of the proposed dispensary web site on East Essential Road, stated he’s involved concerning the impact a dispensary may have on his enterprise, including that he’s had issues with noise and trash from the present enterprise on the location.
“I do really feel considerably threatened ought to a medical marijuana dispensary be permitted adjoining to our healthcare facility,” he stated. “The largest concern is our youth being uncovered to this. I do know that the medical marijuana is just permitted to promote to age 21 and over, however diversion does happen similar to it does with alcohol and tobacco.”
He additionally stated he “feels a medical marijuana dispensary doesn’t match and isn’t in keeping with this bigger residential neighborhood.”
Dulick stated he purchased the property final April, which is at the moment the location of Frivolously Toasted, a vape store owned by his son and a good friend. Nevertheless, he stated that the enterprise would relocate elsewhere if the dispensary is accepted by town and in addition receives a license from the state of Ohio.
“I believe there’s slightly misunderstanding between medical [marijuana] and the way that works and leisure — and this isn’t about leisure,” he stated. “If the state of Ohio in some unspecified time in the future down the street, years from now, passes a leisure factor, that must undergo — I’d assume — an entire separate factor. That is strictly for medical use. No one will get in with out a medical card that is issued by a physician.”
Fee member Jeff Clapper stated Dulick has a proper to use for the conditional zoning primarily based on town’s zoning, however added he has questions concerning the proposed web site plan.
“I don’t suppose the location plan is sort of thorough,” he stated, including that the plan wants to incorporate the particular dimensions of fencing enclosing a supply space are wanted so the fee can also understand how a lot house is left for parking.
The state is about to award licenses for a restricted variety of dispensaries statewide on Jan. 27, based on Kent Neighborhood Improvement Director Bridget Susel.
“There’s round 5 licenses which are issued for our area, which incorporates three counties,” she stated. “So we’ve Geauga, Lake and Portage counties in our area.”
Do you’ve gotten a enterprise or healthcare story you’d prefer to share? Reporter Bob Gaetjens could be reached at 330-541-9440, [email protected] and @bobgaetjens_rc.
