Everett’s 3rd Retail Pot Store Creating Controversy

There currently are two retail marijuana stores in Everett. The first, High Society, opened on Broadway in early October and the second, Kush Mart, opened two weeks ago on Evergreen Way. The likely 3rd retail store is having a tougher go of it. At last week’s Everett City Council meeting neighbors of a proposed retail marijuana store, Purple Haze at 4218 Rucker, asked the city to stop the plans for the business to open. The area is zoned commercial but neighbors say that a Camp Fire office a block away is within the 1000 foot buffer areas where kids programs including schools, parks and day-cares must be distanced from retail pot stores. MyEverettNews.com spoke with Dave Surface who is the Executive Director of Camp Fire. “It’s not good for our customer base or our core values,” said Surface. “Programs involving children go on here and we are a service center for the programs that take place.” The City of Everett did take that information to the Washington State Liquor Control Board who is in charge of approving State licenses but the board did not agree and on Monday approved the Rucker location. The owners of Purple Haze have now applied for a City of Everett license.

At today’s Everett City Council meeting neighbors asked the city to not issue a license due to the fact that families live next door and the neighborhood is already known for crime according to city statistics. The Everett City Council went into executive session and afterword council member Ron Gipson made a motion asking for an emergency ordinance to stop the issuance of any more retail marijuana licenses until the current ordinance is revised to keep retail marijuana stores from opening next to a residence even if that residence is in an area zoned for commercial use. A friendly amendment was added by council member Murphy to also include camp fire offices within 1000 feet of the proposed stores as reasons to deny a permit. With those two voting yes, council members Roberts, Moore, Bader and Tuohy voted no. That means the city licensing process is moving forward.

MyEverettNews.com did leave messages and contact information for the owners of Purple Haze but so far has not received any response or comment. It should be noted that the Purple Haze business is going into a house that had been converted to a law office and there was also a hair salon that operated as a commercial business for years in that same row of houses. On the end of the block is a house that’s been converted to a Tarot Card-Fortune Reading business. You can’t see the Purple Haze business from the Camp Fire office but there is a bikini barista stand in full view across the street and a tattoo parlor two doors to the south that are visible from the Camp Fire office. If the City of Everett does approve the license, that would leave two last slots to fill the five retail licenses authorized for retail pot stores in Everett.

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