OFFICIALS INITIATE MARIJUANA DISPENSARY DISCUSSIONS

Zoning districts and locational requirements were the hot topics of
conversation relating to medical marijuana dispensaries on Monday night.

The Windsor Town Board and Planning Commission held a joint work
session to discuss possible requirements for the dispensaries.

Windsor Director of Planning Joe Plummer came up with a list of
suggestions as a starting point for discussion.

"I suggest allowing the dispensaries in general commercial, limited
industrial and heavy industrial zoning areas," Plummer said.

In those areas, medical offices are use-by-right.

That would mean dispensaries are prohibited from residential mixed use
or neighborhood commercial areas.

Plummer also suggested that grow or cultivation operations be only
allowed in limited or heavy industrial areas.

Town board member Robert Bishop-Cotner said this seemed like a good
way to start.

"I think as long as the light industrial areas are set back from the
residential areas, this makes sense," Bishop-Cotner said. "This limits
where they'll be able to locate."

Town board member Michael Kelly was skeptical about allowing the
dispensaries in general commercial or light industrial areas.

"I don't think Windsorites want them there," he said. "We're trying to
make these dispensaries fit like any other business, but they're not."

Planning Commission member David Cox was concerned about the total
number of dispensaries in Windsor.

"I want to make sure we keep an eye on that," he said.

Windsor Mayor John Vazquez asked if there was any way to cap the
number of dispensaries.

"Can we do that by tying it to the population number?" he asked. "How
many sites will qualify?"

Windsor Town Attorney Ian McCargar said he had not seen other
municipalities use the population number to cap the number of
dispensaries.

"It's my feeling you can limit the number by limiting the areas they
can locate," he said.

The locational requirements Plummer suggested as a starting point were
to set the dispensaries and grow operations back 500 feet from schools
and 750 feet from church property, residential areas, public parks,
cemeteries, liquor stores and other dispensaries or grow operations.

Those requirements weren't far enough back for Vazquez.

"I'm partial to the maximum amount, more like 1,000 feet from
schools," he said. "I also think it might make sense to force the
growers away from the dispensaries."

Planning Commission member Paul Ehrlich Jr., disagreed.

"The one-stop shop may make sense for caregivers working with
bedridden individuals," he said. "And what about the live-work
combination we encourage? The ability to live above your shop is
becoming a neighborhood trend in a lot of communities."

Kelly asked to see some examples from other communities.

"That way we can get an idea about some of our colleagues and what
they're doing," he said.

McCargar told the boards there was not a lot in the way of court
decisions about medical marijuana.

"I just don't know the answers to a lot of your questions yet," he
said.