Wiscasset ordinance evaluation committee members and others took seconds Monday night time to agree Routes 1 and 27 are the place the city ought to enable marijuana companies, after which a lot of the Zoom assembly to attempt to see the place the companies may match on these routes.
Working from a draft ordinance that will bar the companies inside 2,000 ft of a property line of a college, childcare or church, members discovered Wiscasset has so many church buildings, a buffer of almost half a mile would rule out some stretches. “That’s a reasonably substantial distance,” member Allen Cohen mentioned.
On Route 1, Bible Baptist Church is 1.7 miles from Freedom Fellowship, “in order that’s greater than sufficient (room),” and Bible Baptist is 1.8 miles from the city workplace, Selectmen’s Chair Sarah Whitfield, the board’s liaison to the ORC, mentioned. Committee members mulled reducing the proposed buffer, probably in half. It could possibly be the distinction between workable and unworkable, Cohen mentioned.
“Usually, if we maintain with the two,000 (ft), we’re knocking out most of city,” Whitfield noticed.
Chair Karl Olson will map out the ranges, to assist the panel determine what to suggest. And the committee plans to ask Damariscotta City Supervisor Matt Lutkus and Planner Bob Faunce to a March assembly to talk about that city’s marijuana guidelines and reply committee questions. Lincoln County Regional Planning Fee’s Emily Rabbe mentioned the 2 may clarify how Damariscotta decided charges, the variety of licenses to permit for every enterprise sort, and extra.
Wiscasset townspeople have been fairly clear they are not looking for marijuana companies downtown and in historic areas, Olson mentioned.
Cohen advised additionally avoiding residential neighborhoods. “So we type of must have it the place the companies of the city are primarily positioned, aside from house occupation.”
Rabbe added, making a marijuana ordinance will doubtless additionally imply updating the land use ordinance.
Additionally Monday night time, Whitfield mentioned at Tuesday’s selectmen’s assembly, when the board is ready to take up the city property use coverage the ORC drafted on the board’s request, she plans to suggest altering it to not have Wiscasset Neighborhood Middle leases want selectmen’s approval. Not like for different websites, the board doesn’t approve WCC use, the division does, Whitfield defined. There could be too many requests for selectmen to subject, she added.
Parks and Recreation Director Duane Goud’s proposal to permit alcohol at occasions at WCC with licensed distributors helped lead selectmen to hunt a coverage.
