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This updated map of Pipestone shows where buffers around schools, daycares and parks would prohibit cannabis businesses. The Pipestone City Council introduced an ordinance that includes those buffers at its Dec. 16 meeting. See this story at pipestonestar.com for detailed image. Source: City of Pipestone
An ordinance was introduced during the Dec. 16 Pipestone City Council meeting that would amend city code regarding the regulation of cannabis and hemp businesses. A special city council meeting was scheduled for Friday, Dec. 20 at 1 p.m. to consider adoption of the ordinance in order to have it in place by Jan. 1.
The Pipestone Planning Commission recommended during its Dec. 11 meeting that the council approve the ordinance. The recommendation followed a public hearing to take comments on the proposed ordinance that no one attended. Pipestone Building and Zoning Official Solomon Derby said no one had called or submitted letters about the ordinance prior to the meeting either.
Discussion of the proposed ordinance during the planning commission meeting focused primarily on the buffer zones around daycares, schools and parks. According to state statute, local units of government may prohibit the operation of a cannabis business within 1,000 feet of a school, or 500 feet of a daycare, residential treatment facility or public park. Commission members had previously asked Derby to develop a map that showed lower buffer distances for daycares and parks, more of the city than a previous map, and zoning districts.
Derby presented a map that had a 500-foot buffer from parks and another that had a 450-foot buffer from parks. The 50-foot difference didn’t make much difference, but it did open up some additional areas where cannabis businesses could be located, including the site of the municipal liquor store. City Administrator Deb Nelson said the higher potency cannabis products can’t be sold at a location where alcohol is sold, however, so if the city did decide to have a municipal cannabis retail business, it would have to be at a separate location from the liquor store.
Planning commission member Dean Dethmers suggested decreasing the buffer zones for parks to less than 500 feet and other commission members initially agreed. After further discussion, however, the consensus was to recommend the maximum buffers allowed by statute of 500 and 1,000 feet and Dethmers made the motion to recommend approval of the ordinance with those buffers.
A variance could be requested to open a cannabis businesses within a buffer zone if it is a permitted or conditional use in the zoning district. If that occurred, the Pipestone Board of Appeals and Adjustments would hold a public hearing as part of the variance process.
According to the ordinance, a cannabis business lawfully established and operating in a location could continue to do so if a school, residential treatment facility, daycare facility or park is established within the buffer. The ordinance would limit the number of cannabis retail businesses in the city to no more than one and indicates that if there is one cannabis retail business in the county, the city will not register an additional cannabis retail business. According to state statute, a city is not obligated to register a cannabis business if the county has one active registration for every 12,500 residents. A municipal retail cannabis business would not count against that limit, according to the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM).According to the OCM, licensing for cannabis businesses is expected to open early next year.
“}]] An ordinance was introduced during the Dec. 16 Pipestone City Council meeting that would amend city code regarding the regulation of cannabis and hemp businesse Read More
