City of Everett To Review Practices Surrounding Downtown Arena

Following the recent Cannabis Cup in downtown Everett, the city is going to review how it views and enforces zoning code uses and potential violations in the area surrounding Xfinity Arena. During the Cannabis Cup a hot dog vendor was set up kitty-corner from the arena at Oakes and Hewitt. That looked to be a violation of the zoning code put in place to protect downtown brick and mortar restaurant owners. In addition a gravel parking lot directly across from the main entrance to the arena was used as an area for an open air market and for people to smoke medical marijuana. That lot was the former location of the McCrossen building which was destroyed in a three-alarm fire in November of 2012. One person died in the fire and 40 residents were displaced. The property has been fenced and while Everett zoning codes prohibit using that space as a parking lot, there apparently is no restriction on the owner renting out the property for open air events.

MyEverettNews.com did ask the city about the use of that lot during the Cannabis Cup and got the following e-mail response from city communication director Meghan Pembroke…

“From a land-use standpoint, the use during the event was not in violation of our zoning code. As part of the demolition of the McCrossen Building, the City required the property owner to develop a landscaping plan, and our planning staff has been working with Mr. Sikov’s landscape architect on a perimeter planting plan for the site.”

Another lot across the street on the east side of Broadway was used for a similar marketplace and smoking area. Food vendors inside that area were allowing people to smoke well within 25 feet of where they were serving. As far as why the marijuana smoking area wasn’t kept on the Xfinity Arena property, general manager Rick Comeau told MyEverettNews.com that because the arena has a liquor license, the Washington State Liquor Control Board prohibited the use of any marijuana related product on the property. The arena facilitated introductions between the property owners and the promoter of the Cannabis Cup who made independent arrangements to use the two lots on either side of the arena.

With regards to reviewing the current zoning codes and their enforcement, City of Everett’s Pembroke offered the following…

“The City worked with the Public Facilities District (PFD) and the event promoter to handle many event-related requests before the Cannabis Cup. However, some agreements were worked out directly between the event promoter and private property owners. This event was the first of its kind in Everett, so we’ll do a review internally and talk with the PFD about how it went and any issues that came up.”

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