EVERETT — The Everett City Council has reopened debate on its marijuana ordinance and is sending it back to the city’s planning commission for a second look.
After Initiative 502 legalized recreational pot businesses in Washington in late 2012, Everett passed a series of six-month emergency ordinances to govern where retail shops were located while the city’s staff and city council could study and debate the issue.
The city adopted its permanent ordinance in July 2015, but given the latest actions, “permanent” turned out to mean seven months.
The impetus behind the sudden change was the state Liquor and Cannabis Board’s move to bring unregulated medical marijuana dispensaries under the same regulations as recreational pot. In the process, that would double the maximum number of retailers in each community.
The new rule meant Everett’s cap of five retailers would grow to 10.
In January, Councilman Scott Bader requested the council pass an emergency moratorium to put the brakes on that potential outcome.
Four of the seven council members voted in favor, but that was one vote shy of the supermajority needed to enact the moratorium as an emergency measure.
Councilman Jeff Moore, who supported the moratorium, raised the issue again at the Feb. 10 council meeting, proposing the council ask the planning commission to review the existing ordinance and recommend changes, which might include a freeze on new developments..
By his count there are 14 medical and recreational pot shops along Highway 99 between 112th Street and 164th Street, just south of city limits.
Four shops now operate within city limits, with a fifth in the permitting stages.
The city’s current ordinance mandates zones of separation between stores as well as areas considered sensitive, such as schools and day care centers. Under those rules, south Everett is the only part of town where an additional five shops would fit.
“It’s not the image I want for south Everett,” Moore said.
His proposal sparked a half-hour debate at the council meeting, in part because it didn’t appear on the agenda for the evening.
Councilwoman Brenda Stonecipher asked that the issue be placed on a future agenda in order to give the public adequate notice.
“I’m very uncomfortable taking any action on this without public notification,” she said.
The item was subsequently included on the Feb. 17 agenda.
But when council president Scott Murphy called for public comment at the start of that meeting, no one rose to speak on the issue.
The planning commission will take up Moore’s proposal at its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. March 1, in the city council chambers in the William E. Moore Historic City Hall building, 3002 Wetmore Ave.
Chris Winters: 425-374-4165; cwinters@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @Chris_At_Herald.
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