CARBONDALE BOARD TO TALK MEDICAL POT REGS

CARBONDALE, Colorado - Carbondale trustees are set to continue their
discussion about proposed local regulation of medical marijuana
businesses at tonight's regular Town Council meeting.

The board is currently considering a draft zoning ordinance that would
specify where in Carbondale medical marijuana centers and grow
operations can be located.

The draft ordinance is based on a set of recommendations from the
town's specially appointed Medical Marijuana Facilities Advisory
Group, which issued its findings in late July.

Among the specific issues to be addressed at tonight's meeting will
be:

- - The distance a medical marijuana facility can be from a school; both
the advisory group and a majority of trustees have suggested a
500-foot buffer; and,

- - How to handle existing medical marijuana businesses that become out
of compliance with the new zoning code amendments, including the
distance requirements.

"In general, the existing use is allowed to continue to operate as
long as it is not expanded," according to a town staff interpretation
of the municipal code. "Once the specific business ceases to operate,
any new business/use must comply with the existing code."

Also on the table for further discussion is where to allow commercial
grow operations, and whether they should be subject to a conditional
use review by town staff, as well as any associated licensing fees
that may be assessed.

Following tonight's discussion, the proposed zoning amendments are
expected to be referred to the Carbondale Planning and Zoning
Commission for review. The Board of Trustees will continue to work on
an ordinance related to licensing requirements.

Also on tonight's agenda is a request to reopen the public hearing on
the so-called Historic Commercial Core Overlay Zoning. The newly
drafted rules for downtown development would allow for taller
buildings than Carbondale's building code allows in certain instances.
However, questions about new parking requirements contained in the
draft ordinance have been raised by developers of the Town Center project.

Tonight's Carbondale Town Council meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at Town
Hall, 511 Colorado Ave.