Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
An application for a new retail marijuana store in Pueblo County is expected to reignite complaints over too many pot stores in Pueblo, but this time the focus shifts to the east of town.
St. Charles Mesa residents and representatives from Pueblo County School District 70 are expected to attend tonight's meeting of the Pueblo County Liquor and Marijuana Licensing Board to protest an application by Mesa Organics to open a medical marijuana center on the 30000 block of U.S. 50 East.
A letter being circulated to area neighbors notes that the proposed medical store is close to residences as well as school bus stops in the area.
The measure is one of three new applications, all of which are targeting areas east of the city.
One application is from Colorado Best Budz LLC, for a retail marijuana store and cultivation facility owned by Tommy Giodone on his property on the 23000 block of U.S. 50 East. The third application is for a retail cultivation license on the 50000 block of East Colorado 96 in Boone by Lantz Industries LLC.
The application by Mesa Organics is also asking for approval of a license to grow medical marijuana and to manufacture marijuana infused products there.
Infused products manufacturers aren't allowed to be within 1,000 feet of any school. But the closest school to the proposed address, North Mesa Elementary, is over 3,000 feet away, said Planning Director Joan Armstrong.
This morning, hours before the licensing board is scheduled to meet, the board of county commissioners is set to take up a text amendment to the county's marijuana land-use codes that attempts to address some of the citizen concerns over store proximity to homes and the density of retail and medical stores in single areas.
The proposal restricts marijuana stores from opening within 1,000 feet of each other and triggers a special use permit and hearing if a store proposes to open within 250 feet of a private residence.
Under the current code, residents within that distance who live in certain residential and light agricultural zoning districts are given notification of the license, but no further hearing is required, said Armstrong.
Armstrong said there is a residence within 250 feet of the Mesa Organics store, but it is in a business district and not subject to the notification procedure.
If the commissioners approve the land-use changes this morning, they won't apply to Mesa Organics' license application anyway. Mesa Organics already has a zoning approval for the site.
Land-use issues, such as buffers, are handled by zoning, rather than license issues that are handled by the marijuana licensing board.
However, the land-use amendment has been delayed twice to allow staff to work out how zoning approval for an existing store would expire after a store closes.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: New take on pot store foes | The Pueblo Chieftain
Author: Jeff Tucker
Contact: News tips | The Pueblo Chieftain
Photo Credit: Ron Gonzales
Website: The Pueblo Chieftain: Southern Colorado local news, sports, business, entertainment, opinion, weather, classifieds
St. Charles Mesa residents and representatives from Pueblo County School District 70 are expected to attend tonight's meeting of the Pueblo County Liquor and Marijuana Licensing Board to protest an application by Mesa Organics to open a medical marijuana center on the 30000 block of U.S. 50 East.
A letter being circulated to area neighbors notes that the proposed medical store is close to residences as well as school bus stops in the area.
The measure is one of three new applications, all of which are targeting areas east of the city.
One application is from Colorado Best Budz LLC, for a retail marijuana store and cultivation facility owned by Tommy Giodone on his property on the 23000 block of U.S. 50 East. The third application is for a retail cultivation license on the 50000 block of East Colorado 96 in Boone by Lantz Industries LLC.
The application by Mesa Organics is also asking for approval of a license to grow medical marijuana and to manufacture marijuana infused products there.
Infused products manufacturers aren't allowed to be within 1,000 feet of any school. But the closest school to the proposed address, North Mesa Elementary, is over 3,000 feet away, said Planning Director Joan Armstrong.
This morning, hours before the licensing board is scheduled to meet, the board of county commissioners is set to take up a text amendment to the county's marijuana land-use codes that attempts to address some of the citizen concerns over store proximity to homes and the density of retail and medical stores in single areas.
The proposal restricts marijuana stores from opening within 1,000 feet of each other and triggers a special use permit and hearing if a store proposes to open within 250 feet of a private residence.
Under the current code, residents within that distance who live in certain residential and light agricultural zoning districts are given notification of the license, but no further hearing is required, said Armstrong.
Armstrong said there is a residence within 250 feet of the Mesa Organics store, but it is in a business district and not subject to the notification procedure.
If the commissioners approve the land-use changes this morning, they won't apply to Mesa Organics' license application anyway. Mesa Organics already has a zoning approval for the site.
Land-use issues, such as buffers, are handled by zoning, rather than license issues that are handled by the marijuana licensing board.
However, the land-use amendment has been delayed twice to allow staff to work out how zoning approval for an existing store would expire after a store closes.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: New take on pot store foes | The Pueblo Chieftain
Author: Jeff Tucker
Contact: News tips | The Pueblo Chieftain
Photo Credit: Ron Gonzales
Website: The Pueblo Chieftain: Southern Colorado local news, sports, business, entertainment, opinion, weather, classifieds
