EVERETT — The Snohomish County Council on Wednesday temporarily halted new state-licensed marijuana businesses in some of the county’s rural areas.
The council’s emergency ordinance also puts a six-month pause on new growing, processing or retail outfits along a mile-long stretch of Highway 9 in Clearview. It applies to businesses seeking to operate under the state’s Initiative 502 rules for recreational pot.
The action followed a similar emergency ordinance the council enacted Monday that applied only to medical marijuana businesses in Clearview.
Both measures passed 5-0.
“It would give us a time out, some breathing room to consider these issues thoughtfully,” Council Chairman Dave Somers said.
More than 20 people, representing both sides of the issue, commented for more than an hour and a half during council’s hearing Wednesday.
Some Clearview residents have mounted strong opposition to a proliferation of marijuana businesses in their semi-rural neighborhood.
Pot entrepreneurs, meanwhile, have appealed to the council to respect their right to open businesses they had pursued under land-use regulations the council adopted last year.
The county’s planning department, as of this week, had commented on 131 applications for pot businesses to the state Liquor Control Board. Just five were from potential retail outlets, the rest from people hoping to cultivate or process cannabis crops.
Of the applications, 88 were in the R-5 zones and Clearview rural commercial area affected by council’s action on Wednesday. R-5 zones are rural areas where the county generally allows just one house per five acres, with some leeway for business activities. The Clearview commercial area stretches along a mile of Highway 9 and covers about 116 acres.
Under state law, the council must schedule a public hearing on any new development regulations approved without full vetting by the county planning commission.
Hearings on both emergency ordinances are scheduled at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 29.
The planning commission, meanwhile, is considering permanent regulations for marijuana businesses. An important aspect of any regulations is how they address the three-tiered licensing scale for different sizes of pot producers.
Commissioners are expected to hold their own hearings on proposed rules and to present recommendations to the County Council within the next six months, before the emergency measures expire.
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465, nhaglund@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @NWhaglund.
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