Wrangell has moved a step closer toward the opening of licensed marijuana-related businesses, with Planning and Zoning forwarding its recommendations for code updates to the city’s clerk and lawyer.
Basing the proposal on conclusions reached by the commission over the course of several meetings this year, economic development director Carol Rushmore passed out a draft for review she had prepared at a July 14 meeting.
“I’ve kept it pretty simple,” she told commissioners.
Given the go-ahead by the Borough Assembly in June, the proposed ordinance would update current zoning definitions to reflect the state’s legalization of retail and other related operations for marijuana, passed by voters in 2014 and implemented this year. Alaska’s first licenses for growing and testing facilities were granted last month.
In the course of their meetings, Planning and Zoning determined any licensed activities related to marijuana ought to require conditional use permitting first, causing proposed business plans to undergo a public hearing process before approval. It would not allow any variety of marijuana-related activity in single- or multi-family residential zones in town.
The cultivation of 500 square feet and above would be allowable within rural residential zoning, provided the property is at least two acres large and all required setbacks are met. Commissioners also will allow for limited cultivation of less than 500 square feet, as well as non-solvent related manufacturing, testing and retail in rural residential zones, so long as it is an acre in size and the development meets all applicable setbacks.
Commercial zoning would be updated to allow limited cultivation of up to 2,000 square feet and limited forms of manufacturing be allowed. Any business would also have to conform to the state’s stringent security and safety restrictions.
“At this point the attorney will actually develop the ordinance or [city clerk] Kim [Lane] will develop the ordinance,” Rushmore explained.
Afterward, a draft ordinance will return for the commission’s review and the public hearing process, and then from there to the Assembly for final approval and adoption.
“This looks really good, Carol. I like it,” said commissioner Don McConachie after reviewing the proposal. “The one thing we were really worried about was someone blowing themselves up with the solvent processing.”
“I think this is good and simple. Everything is conditional use. Everything is going to have to come before us,” said commission chair Terri Henson.
A conditional use permit request was approved for a rental cabin at the GIHP resubdivision, requested by Charles and Pan Haubrich. The boat house is on a residential property close to Sea Level Seafoods, and Pan Haubrich explained they wanted to repurpose it to accommodate overnight and short-term stays.
Planning and Zoning also gave final plat approval to the Torgramsen-Glasner subdivision which has been awaiting a decision since September, after a delay caused by the discovery of Forest Service trail and city utility easements by a surveyor. The city approved vacation of its old easements in December, but it took a while longer to determine the federal easement had already been abandoned, back in 1966.
The plat seemed set for further delays, when during Thursday’s meeting commissioner Jim Shoemaker had to excuse himself due to a conflict of interest. As a result, the commission lacked a quorum needed to make a decision.
“I suppose we’ll have to move on,” Henson said, tabling the item. A quorum was later reached in a special meeting held on Tuesday, with commissioners voting unanimously in favor of the plat. It will move to the Assembly for its consideration at its July 26 meeting.
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