Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
Longmont's City Council on Tuesday night is to resume discussions of the restrictions and requirements they might apply to retail marijuana sales establishments – if any are eventually allowed to operate within the city limits.
The city staff is seeking further direction about what zoning districts would be the most appropriate locations for pot shops, and how far away from schools any such businesses would have to be.
On April 18 – during the council's last study-session review of possible conditions they'd like to see accompany any decision to lift Longmont's ban on shops selling marijuana within its boundaries – most council members appeared to favor limiting the number of establishments selling recreational or medical marijuana to a maximum of four, citywide.
Most council members also appeared to agree in April that none of those marijuana sales establishments should be permitted within the city's core downtown Central Business District zone. If they're allowed at all, an informal council majority said, they should be restricted to districts where other general retail sales are permitted.
That could include locations in Longmont Commercial, Commercial Regional, Business Light Industrial and Mixed Industrial zoning districts – but not any of the city's residential zoning districts.
In a memo for Tuesday night's study session, the city staff said the Public Safety Department has indicated that the most appropriate areas for such businesses would be commercial areas, since those "tend to be the locations with the highest visibility from a patrol perspective."
On Tuesday, the council also is to revisit whether to set separation requirements, establishing, for example, how close to schools or residential neighborhoods pot shops would be allowed to locate.
In April, the council majority suggested that setbacks be similar to what Longmont requires for establishments with municipal liquor licenses, including a 500-foot separation from kindergarten-through-12th-grade schools and a 250-foot setback from residentially zoned areas.
Longmont's staff said in its memo for Tuesday that after researching standards in other jurisdictions that permit businesses selling marijuana, the city staff is recommending that pot shops be at least 1,000 feet away from schools and at least 250 feet away from residentially zoned areas.
Also up for discussion on Tuesday will be what level of sales tax Longmont might apply to retail marijuana sales.
If the city charges the same 3.275 percent municipal sales tax it collects on other retail sales, that could generate about $78,000 a year from each marijuana store operating inside Longmont, the city staff projected.
Longmont could collect an even higher sales tax on retail marijuana purchases, but the city's voters would have to authorize that additional tax before the city could charge anything above its 3.275 percent rate.
An additional 3 percent rate – a total 6.275 percent sales tax on retail marijuana sales – could generate $151,176 per store per year, the city staff estimated. An additional 3.4 percent above the current 3.275 percent Longmont sales tax could produce a total of $160,813 a year per store.
If Longmont does open its door to a limited number of recreational and-or medical marijuana sale shops, the city staff has recommended a fee schedule that would include a $15,000 charge for an initial application by any business wanting to be considered for a Longmont license, an amount the staff said would cover the cost of evaluating the application.
The city staff also has recommended charging an annual $3,500 operating fee.
Longmont banned medical marijuana dispensaries in 2011 and recreational marijuana shops in 2013. While there are no pot shops operating inside Longmont now, there are two on the city's edges in unincorporated Boulder County – Native Roots, near the South Sunset Street Bridge, and Green Tree Medicinals, northeast of Colo. 66 and Main Street.
The council may still be weeks or even months away from making any formal decisions about whether to rescind those pot shop bans, a possibility that's already been discussed at a number of meetings over the past year or so.
Tuesday night's study session will not include any binding council votes, but any informal directives the council majority gives to the staff – such as whether to craft an ordinance asking Longmont voters in November to authorize a special tax on retail marijuana sales – are expected to show up as action items on future regular council meeting agendas.
Nor does Tuesday's marijuana sales discussion include a formal public hearing, although people can speak about that or any other city government issues at the start of the study-session.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Longmont council to resume pot-shop discussions - Longmont Times-Call
Author: John Fryar
Contact: Contact Us - Longmont Times-Call
Photo Credit: Cliff Grassmick
Website: Longmont Times Call: Breaking News, Sports, Weather, Traffic - Longmont Times-Call
The city staff is seeking further direction about what zoning districts would be the most appropriate locations for pot shops, and how far away from schools any such businesses would have to be.
On April 18 – during the council's last study-session review of possible conditions they'd like to see accompany any decision to lift Longmont's ban on shops selling marijuana within its boundaries – most council members appeared to favor limiting the number of establishments selling recreational or medical marijuana to a maximum of four, citywide.
Most council members also appeared to agree in April that none of those marijuana sales establishments should be permitted within the city's core downtown Central Business District zone. If they're allowed at all, an informal council majority said, they should be restricted to districts where other general retail sales are permitted.
That could include locations in Longmont Commercial, Commercial Regional, Business Light Industrial and Mixed Industrial zoning districts – but not any of the city's residential zoning districts.
In a memo for Tuesday night's study session, the city staff said the Public Safety Department has indicated that the most appropriate areas for such businesses would be commercial areas, since those "tend to be the locations with the highest visibility from a patrol perspective."
On Tuesday, the council also is to revisit whether to set separation requirements, establishing, for example, how close to schools or residential neighborhoods pot shops would be allowed to locate.
In April, the council majority suggested that setbacks be similar to what Longmont requires for establishments with municipal liquor licenses, including a 500-foot separation from kindergarten-through-12th-grade schools and a 250-foot setback from residentially zoned areas.
Longmont's staff said in its memo for Tuesday that after researching standards in other jurisdictions that permit businesses selling marijuana, the city staff is recommending that pot shops be at least 1,000 feet away from schools and at least 250 feet away from residentially zoned areas.
Also up for discussion on Tuesday will be what level of sales tax Longmont might apply to retail marijuana sales.
If the city charges the same 3.275 percent municipal sales tax it collects on other retail sales, that could generate about $78,000 a year from each marijuana store operating inside Longmont, the city staff projected.
Longmont could collect an even higher sales tax on retail marijuana purchases, but the city's voters would have to authorize that additional tax before the city could charge anything above its 3.275 percent rate.
An additional 3 percent rate – a total 6.275 percent sales tax on retail marijuana sales – could generate $151,176 per store per year, the city staff estimated. An additional 3.4 percent above the current 3.275 percent Longmont sales tax could produce a total of $160,813 a year per store.
If Longmont does open its door to a limited number of recreational and-or medical marijuana sale shops, the city staff has recommended a fee schedule that would include a $15,000 charge for an initial application by any business wanting to be considered for a Longmont license, an amount the staff said would cover the cost of evaluating the application.
The city staff also has recommended charging an annual $3,500 operating fee.
Longmont banned medical marijuana dispensaries in 2011 and recreational marijuana shops in 2013. While there are no pot shops operating inside Longmont now, there are two on the city's edges in unincorporated Boulder County – Native Roots, near the South Sunset Street Bridge, and Green Tree Medicinals, northeast of Colo. 66 and Main Street.
The council may still be weeks or even months away from making any formal decisions about whether to rescind those pot shop bans, a possibility that's already been discussed at a number of meetings over the past year or so.
Tuesday night's study session will not include any binding council votes, but any informal directives the council majority gives to the staff – such as whether to craft an ordinance asking Longmont voters in November to authorize a special tax on retail marijuana sales – are expected to show up as action items on future regular council meeting agendas.
Nor does Tuesday's marijuana sales discussion include a formal public hearing, although people can speak about that or any other city government issues at the start of the study-session.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Longmont council to resume pot-shop discussions - Longmont Times-Call
Author: John Fryar
Contact: Contact Us - Longmont Times-Call
Photo Credit: Cliff Grassmick
Website: Longmont Times Call: Breaking News, Sports, Weather, Traffic - Longmont Times-Call
