Everett Publishes Proposed Policies for Processing, Producing and Providing Pot

August 4, 2013

Everett, Everett Government

I 502 in Everett

The public hearing is Tuesday at 6:30pm at Everett city hall.

The City of Everett Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the rules for processing, producing and providing legal marijuana on Tuesday August 6th. The city is trying to get policies in place before the State of Washington begins accepting applications on September 14th from those interested in getting into the legal marijuana business. The first actual licenses will be issued in December.

Here are some of the highlights of the proposed rules in Everett:

Marijuana producers and processors may locate only within certain industrial zones.

Marijuana producers and processors may not locate within 1000 feet of any parcel zoned as residential.

Marijuana retailers may not locate in Neighborhood Business zones.

Marijuana retailers may not locate within 2500 feet of one another.

Everett will issue licenses in the order they have been issued from the State.

If the State issues two or more licenses for retail operations at the same time for locations that are within 2500 feet of each other, the City Planning Director will decide who gets the license.

Marijuana producers, processors and retailers are required to acquire all necessary city business licenses and must comply with municipal tax regulations and all other City of Everett laws.

In the documents being prepared for the city council, City of Everett planners say they want to take a measured approach which honors the spirit of state law and acts as a pilot project allowing marijuana businesses only in areas that have the greatest likelihood to be permissible after full consideration of the impacts. The city says this action is a limited first step and can be expanded as warranted.

Everett does not know how many licenses the State will issue and so it can’t know the number of potential marijuana businesses that may locate in the city and so it can’t fully anticipate all potential impacts of marijuana businesses which have never existed as legal uses. They say these steps are necessary to avoid marijuana businesses establishing vested rights contrary to and inconsistent with any revision the City of Everett may make to its regulatory scheme as a result of the City’s study of the matter.

The public hearing at the planning commission is set for Tuesday August 6, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. in the Wall Street Building 8th Floor Hearing Room located at 2930 Wetmore Avenue in Everett.

Editor’s Note: The Washington Liquor Control Board will also be holding a public hearing in Everett on I-502 from 1pm – 4pm at the Comcast Arena Conference Center at 2000 Hewitt Ave. This is being done statewide and is not part of the Everett planning process. The hearings are a required part of the rulemaking process and provide an opportunity for stakeholders to offer public testimony on the proposed rules for I-502.

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