PC TAKES ON CANNABIS CLUBS

Medical cannabis is again a topic of discussion at City Hall; tonight
the Planning Commission will hear public testimony on the prospect of
a Diablo Valley-region dispensary based in Martinez.

The Planning Commission will tackle the contentious topic of medical
cannabis dispensaries tonight; specifically, whether or not the City
of Martinez should proceed in its allowance of a dispensary in the
next few months.

While an ordinance allowing dispensaries has been on the books since
2000, it wasn't until late 2009 that several potential operators came
to the City requesting permission to open for business.

Since then, the Council's Public Safety Subcommittee -- comprised of
Council members Mike Menesini and Lara DeLaney -- has met several
times to rewrite the prohibitively restrictive 2000 ordinance into a
document more closely aligned with today's dispensary realities.

At an early morning meeting on Friday, the Subcommittee again tweaked
a replacement ordinance, written by City Attorney Jeffrey Walter, by
decreasing the distance between any dispensary and youth-oriented
facilities, neighboring schools, churches, public parks and day care
facilities.

The 2000 ordinance stipulated that a 1000-foot buffer was required,
but during the many revision meetings, City staff stated that this
rule precluded almost all viable locations, effectively rendering the
ordinance moot.

Menesini and DeLaney recommended reducing the buffer zone to 600 feet
from youth-oriented locations and 300 feet from all
residentially-zoned parcels.

The cities of Santa Rosa and Sebastopol allow dispensaries within 500
feet of schools, parks and churches, while Albany mandates 1000.

On Friday, the Subcommittee also placed a cap of $200 on all cash
transactions in an effort to reduce the dispensary becoming a target
for robberies.

While the Planning Commission is slated to debate one potential
operator's request to convert the C.K. Motors property on Alhambra
Avenue to a dispensary facility on February 8, tonight's meeting will
focus on the question of amending current municipal code.

Included in the revised law up for approval is the establishment of a
licensing process rather than allowing dispensaries via conditional
use permits. It would be up to the City Manager and Chief of Police to
vet the applications, conduct background checks on applicants and make
a selection.

The new ordinance also stipulates allowing only one operator for year
one, and up to three thereafter, once the City has a chance to monitor
the success or failure of the first operator, as recommended by DeLaney.

As he had in the past, Menesini reminded those in attendance at
Friday's meeting that 64 percent of Martinez voters approved
decriminalizing medical cannabis 13 years ago upon the passage of Prop. 215.