PETOSKEY — On Monday, the Petoskey City Council decided to allow recreational marijuana on the ballot in November after a petition was presented from Prosperity Petoskey to allow licensing for recreational marijuana retail businesses.
Following the passage of the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act, the city prohibited recreational marijuana within city limits and allowed up to three medical provisioning centers.
More:Petitioners meet requirements to put recreational marijuana on Petoskey’s ballot
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Voters will decide if they want to amend the existing portions of the city’s marijuana ordinance to “regulate the sale of marihuana,” to “allow certain types of marihuana facilities to operate” based on the state’s voter-approved marijuana act from 2018, and to “provide for standards and procedures to permit and regulate such establishments.”Â
The petition received 525 signatures, five more than the 520 needed. With the petition now in hand, the council could choose to adopt the ordinance or put the decision on the November ballot.Â
During discussion at Monday’s meeting, some citizens argued that the council should decide on zoning requirements before putting the initiative on the ballot. The primary zoning concern was around traffic and parking.
City attorney Matt Cross advised against zoning requirements for recreational retail that would force current medical facilities to change locations, but said traffic controls should be fair game. Cross also said the council has to comply with the Zoning Enabling Act, which would not allow for imposing new standards on established facilities.
Petoskey residents voted to allow up to three medical facilities within the city in 2020. In the same election, an initiative was passed to take the future decision on recreational marijuana out of the hands of the council and into the hands of the voters.Â
More:Petoskey voters leave clear path for medical marijuana; recreational facilities still barred
Before that vote, in 2019, the city council passed ordinances that set up the framework for allowing medical marijuana provisioning centers in certain zoning districts of the city.Â
That 2019 ordinance established how licenses would be granted. Additional language was later added that would allow medical marijuana facilities as a special condition use in the B-3 General Business District, B-3B Business Industrial and Planned Unit Development (PUD) districts with a 1,000-foot buffer from K-12 public and private schools, and with a 500-foot minimum distance between facilities.
“I’ve lived here all my life. I have to trust that the people who are happy about this will get out and get the vote and those that are not happy about it (will) get out and get the vote against it,” Mayor John Murphy said.Â
“That’s a part of democracy. I’m going to ask that you work hard at whatever you believe in. That being said, this thing is going to go to the vote of the people.”
Murphy then asked that the planning commission prepare directives in the case the decision passes.
The ballot language will be prepared by the city attorney and brought to the council for approval at the next regularly scheduled meeting. State law requires that ballot language be provided to the county clerk by Aug. 16.
Contact reporter Tess Ware at tware@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on Twitter, @Tess_PetoskeyÂ
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