Joni Moore, owner and president of OI Holdings, LLC and its subsidiaries, talks to the Marquette Township Planning Commission on Wednesday about bringing marijuana-related facilities to a site along Wright Street. The commission granted special-use permits for the facilities. (Journal photo by Christie Mastric)
By CHRISTIE MASTRIC
Journal Staff Writer
MARQUETTE — The Marquette Township Planning Commission on Wednesday unanimously approved special-use permits for medical and adult-use marijuana processors as well as a Class C marijuana grower, also for medical and adult-use recreational purposes.
Ottowa Innovations Processing, LLC, has indicated it wants to repurpose the former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Station at 3090 Wright St. as its corporate headquarters.
Ottowa currently has a grow operation at the former Extremely Low Frequency, or ELF, Station in Humboldt Township. The company’s adult recreational retail and provisioning operations, under the Higher Love Corporation, operate in Marquette, Ironwood, Crystal Falls, Munising and Portage Township.
It also has other adult recreational retail facilities in the works for Norway, Menominee, Escanaba and Wells Township as well as downstate Gaylord and Charlevoix.
Joni Moore, owner and president of OI Holdings, LLC and its subsidiaries, addressed the planning commission on Wednesday about the company’s plans.
Moore said she has had two “passions” in her life: plants, and health and wellness.
“Cannabis has brought both of those passions together for me,” Moore said.
She noted the company has been “highly successful.”
“We know what we’re doing,” Moore said. “We have a large company now with almost 200 employees, many of them executives with a great deal of business experience.”
The commission, as well as several members of the audience, expressed concern about the possibility of odors coming from the facility along Wright Street, which has a veterinary clinic, retail stores and North Star Montessori Academy in the vicinity.
“That’s a concern of us as well because we want to be a good community partner and not offend anyone with any odors,” Moore said.
Moore said the company plans to control odors, noting it can install devices that handle air that goes in and out of the facility, using ozone, ultraviolet and charcoal treatments. She prefers the ozone and charcoal options.
“We’re so fortunate at this point in Michigan to be able to legally grow cannabis,” Moore said, “and I would want to do everything possible to make our portrayal of ourselves pleasant for the community.”
Jason McCarthy, zoning and planning administrator for the township, said in a “perfect world,” the applicant abides by the zoning ordinance, meaning there is no “odorous material” behind the property line and “hopefully” not outside the building.
“If so, this is a conditional-use permit, which can be revoked if found to be in violation of the ordinance,” McCarthy said. “That would be hugely unfortunate. I don’t anticipate that happening. We do have the ordinance to back us up.”
McCarthy said Ottowa submitted three “very complete” applications.
“Staff is supportive of the proposal contingent upon favorable comments by the audience and favorable review by the planning commission and the proposed zoning map amendment,” McCarthy said before the three public hearings on the matter.
Regarding the zoning map amendment, a boundary would have to be extended to include the entire site in the General Business zoning district.
McCarthy said North Star had not been notified about Ottowa’s plans because it is located over 500 feet away; notifications are sent to addresses within 300 feet.
McCarthy said he appreciated people’s patience in the matter.
“This is a new thing for the state of Michigan, and it’s a new thing for Marquette Township,” McCarthy said. “We have marijuana retail adult-use and medical-retail establishments, but we do not have any of these other land-use types.”
The facility proposal next goes to the township board for approval.
Christie Mastric can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.
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