The Ocean Shores Planning Commission has delayed further action on its recommendations regarding new marijuana businesses or operations within city limits until it meets Feb. 14.
The commission decided to hold off on any further recommendations or discussion after only four of the six current members were able to attend last week’s retreat and regular meeting on Tuesday afternoon.
Commissioner Susan Conniry moved to delay action on the marijuana regulations until a full Planning Commission was in attendance. Two members, Eric Noble and Greg Cox, were absent and there is another unfilled position on the 7-person appointed body.
Member Jeff Daniel objected to the delay, noting the commission last year already made a recommendation not to allow marijuana production and processing businesses, as well as co-op medicinal growing operations.
“We also had a motion to approve a second retail store in the city, and that motion failed,” Daniel noted of the Planning Commission’s last vote on the issue. “So I’m wondering what we need to discuss regarding marijuana since we already have a successful motion and a failed motion.”
On Jan. 23, the City Council extended a six-month moratorium prohibiting a new marijuana business from operating within city limits while the Planning Commission completes its recommendations on the issue.
The moratorium prevents “the production or processing of marijuana, or the distribution or offering for sale of recreational marijuana or medicinal cannabis by any entity, including marijuana collective gardens, or cooperatives (co-ops) not licensed by the Washington State Liquor Control Board prior to 2016.”
It also would prohibit the granting of any city license or permit related to such activities “to any entity not licensed by the city prior to 2016.” The state already has granted one more new license for a second recreational retail store in Ocean Shores.
Presented by City Attorney Brent Dille, the request to continue the moratorium came less than two weeks since the Planning Commission held a similar public session in which the only testimony in favor of the moratorium came from a representative of the existing retail marijuana business on Ocean Shores Boulevard, Have a Heart.
The council agreed to extend the moratorium because the Planning Commission was scheduled to revisit and review recommendations to the City Council on how to proceed under the new state rules governing and licensing marijuana businesses as well as any potential growing or processing operations.
Although it took no further action last week, Conniry noted the commission did need to consider the recent developments and public comment. The City Council also had several members of the public address the issue at its last meeting.
“I have some concern about what we have done and the method we have followed here,” Conniry said.
City staff member Linda Whitcher advised the planning members that the motions and earlier action wouldn’t necessarily have to be changed. “But we at least have to talk about what did we hear and do we want to make any changes as a result,” she said.
Daniel urged the commission to move forward and make a decision despite the absences of the two other members.
“We have been having speakers about this for months,” he said.
Conniry, however, noted there were audience members at the meeting who still wanted to address the issue, and they included two pro-marijuana speakers and one very much against any additional businesses or operations.
While they were allowed to speak, the motion to take no further action was approved, and the issue was rescheduled for the Feb. 14 meeting.
Conniry also asked that the Planning Commission reconsider its recommendation on medical co-operative growing operations to allow them under some circumstances: “I believe we should allow that and leave it on the table. The medical portion of this is completely different from the recreational portion. I hope we can revisit that and have another vote on medical cooperatives.”
Commission Meeting Change
The Planning Commission will be meeting at 2 p.m. Feb. 14 at the Canterbury Inn, 643 Ocean Shores Blvd. NW, due to a scheduling conflict at the Library.
It will begin to review the city’s Comprehensive Plan as well as complete work on the marijuana recommendations to the City Council. The first work on the Comprehensive Plan will be a review and update of the Critical Areas and Natural Resource Lands chapter.
The Comprehensive Plan was last amended in 2007, and the Planning Commission is just beginning to set an agenda for full review and possible revision.
The City Council has asked the Planning Commission to pay special attention to erosion areas along the shorelines, and Whitcher advised the commission it would make sense to fold that request in with the Comprehensive Plan review.
“There are a lot of parts of what makes up a city that are addressed in the Comprehensive Plan,” Whitcher said.
