Most citizens who spoke out at the latest city of Ocean Shores public hearing on new marijuana businesses in city limits seemed to favor allowing another store to be licensed and operated under current state rules and regulations.

The only testimony against a proposed new retail marijuana store at the Planning Commission special meeting was from a spokesman representing the owners of the existing Have a Heart store on Ocean Shores Boulevard.

Lobbyist Phillip Dawdy said it was “no secret that we would prefer not to have a second store authorized to be allowed to open in Ocean Shores. Obviously, there are economic factors here at play.”

Another store, he said, might cut into Have a Heart’s current business and force it to cut back on employees or hours. Dawdy noted Have a Heart already has to compete with a retail marijuana business located at Hogan’s Corner.

“We are fine with competition, but at the end of the day we think the State Liquor Board has created a massive mismatch here,” Dawdy said.

The state board regulates the sale of liquor and marijuana and determines where licenses are allowed. It granted another license for Ocean Shores last year.

“If the second store is allowed to open, you would have the highest concentration per capita of cannabis stores in the state of Washington,” Dawdy said. He also suggested a “dispersion rule” in which a buffer of at least 1,000 feet be established between existing marijuana stores.

The Planning Commission has been reviewing the new and revised rules on marijuana sales, growth and production since last May, when Mayor Crystal Dingler asked the appointed body for guidance during a six-month moratorium enacted by the City Council. That moratorium was then extended.

Cathey Peterson, Planning Commission chair, noted the members were tasked with determining whether their should be a second store in Ocean Shores; should state regulations be adopted as they are or should there “be special regulations just for Ocean Shores.”

“To that end, we were asked to have a public meeting, and this is our public meeting,” she said, addressing about 25 people in attendance.

The Planning Commission is expected to review the testimony at its next meeting before reporting back to the City Council.

Ocean Shores resident Carlos Roldan said he thought one store was “fine enough,” but he would support the addition of commercial growing opportunities within city limits.

“What I would like to see is more commercial-type growing in Ocean Shores,” Roldan said. “Because that way, you would probably be able to have more revenue coming in.”

Lillian Broadbent, who run’s Gordon’s Antiques with her husband Gordon Broadbent, noted the city could not impose restrictions on another antique business that wanted to open up down the street.

“I think the market should drive what we do with the store,” she said. “… Why would we do regulations for one particular type of industry. I think that would be bad in the long run.”

But she was opposed to growing operations, calling them “unsuitable for Ocean Shores” with its zoning based mostly around residential communities with fairly small lot sizes, even in the commercial district.

“I don’t think our current zoning accommodates that type of activity,” Broadbent said.

Ocean Shores resident Robin Roberts said he had no problem with another store within city limits.

“It’s no different than having two bars next to each other,” Roberts said. “The strong will survive. I also think production is a good idea. You have the airport, and you have five-acre tracts behind Greenview. … It’s not 1960 or 1950 any more. It’s time the city puts on its pants and be like the rest of us.”