Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
Bethlehem Twp., Pa. - Bethlehem Township Commissioners will be weighing in on medical marijuana zoning during a public hearing at its March 6 meeting.
Up for discussion and board approval is an amendment to Chapter 275 of the Bethlehem Township Zoning Ordinance, which would allow four types of medical marijuana facilities with conditional use approval within the township.
"This is here," said Chairman Michael Hudak. "This is mandated by the state."
The township's General Industrial, Light Industrial, Light Industrial (Phased), Hospital Healthcare Village and General Commercial Districts would be impacted to varying degrees.
Those districts translate roughly to the industrial parks along Brodhead Road and Emerick Boulevard; as well as St. Luke's Anderson Campus. While a portion of Falmer Drive would technically allow facilities as a conditional use, law prohibits medical marijuana facilities located within 1,000 feet of any school.
Additionally, retrofitting an existing building would require site plan reviews while constructing new facilities would require a land development plan.
The General Industrial District, LI and LI(P) Districts would conditionally allow processing facilities, delivery vehicle offices, dispensaries or academic clinical research centers.
The Hospital Healthcare Village District, located at St. Luke's Anderson Campus property, would conditionally allow academic clinical research centers or dispensaries.
The township's General Commercial District would permit delivery vehicle offices and dispensaries.
Grower/processor centers need to be fenced in. Since production is indoors, the public would never know it was anything more than an industrial building, Hudak said.
"It's been vetted and re-vetted," he said.
Resident Shirley Fry, who lives near the Brodhead Road industrial park, said she had enough recreational drug dealing in her area that she didn't want it to move in legally.
"This is becoming a dangerous zone to live in," she said.
Hudak said the law didn't pertain to leaf marijuana but strictly to liquid or pill forms, and only for medicinal use. Nobody would be allowed to walk up and purchase leaf marijuana, he said.
"That's still illegal in Pennsylvania," he said.
"I don't care how it's given," Fry said. "There's no such thing as medicinal marijuana."
Nolan said the state would only provide 15 licenses initially, statewide. Townships had to add the use to their zoning districts in the event that a developer became interested, he said.
In other news, commissioners are setting aside Phase Two of the Housenick Park and Trail Project to focus on Phases Three and Four.
Township Manager Melissa Shafer said the township would have had to tap into the general fund to pay for Phase Two. So commissioners opted to change focus to later phases.
"We didn't budget anything this year so I didn't want to dip into our reserves to pay for the project," Shafer said. "Totally grant funded. Just moving the phases around a little bit."
Phases Three and Four would include trails on the northern side of the property, repaving and widening existing trails. Additionally, the new scope would add a sitting area where the old garage's foundation is currently located.
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources awarded the township a $200,000 grant, which is about $14,000 shy of the amount applied for. While the Northampton County Open Space program grant will provide the remaining, cost it still leaves the township short of Phase Two's $427,000 total cost.
Phase Two focused on trails on the southern portion of the property.
Also, Commissioners gave the go-ahead Monday night to advertise for bid repairs on the Bethlehem Township Community Center.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Bethlehem Township Eyes Zoning Changes For Medical Marijuana
Author: Hannah Schroer
Contact: 610.797.4530
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: 69 News
Up for discussion and board approval is an amendment to Chapter 275 of the Bethlehem Township Zoning Ordinance, which would allow four types of medical marijuana facilities with conditional use approval within the township.
"This is here," said Chairman Michael Hudak. "This is mandated by the state."
The township's General Industrial, Light Industrial, Light Industrial (Phased), Hospital Healthcare Village and General Commercial Districts would be impacted to varying degrees.
Those districts translate roughly to the industrial parks along Brodhead Road and Emerick Boulevard; as well as St. Luke's Anderson Campus. While a portion of Falmer Drive would technically allow facilities as a conditional use, law prohibits medical marijuana facilities located within 1,000 feet of any school.
Additionally, retrofitting an existing building would require site plan reviews while constructing new facilities would require a land development plan.
The General Industrial District, LI and LI(P) Districts would conditionally allow processing facilities, delivery vehicle offices, dispensaries or academic clinical research centers.
The Hospital Healthcare Village District, located at St. Luke's Anderson Campus property, would conditionally allow academic clinical research centers or dispensaries.
The township's General Commercial District would permit delivery vehicle offices and dispensaries.
Grower/processor centers need to be fenced in. Since production is indoors, the public would never know it was anything more than an industrial building, Hudak said.
"It's been vetted and re-vetted," he said.
Resident Shirley Fry, who lives near the Brodhead Road industrial park, said she had enough recreational drug dealing in her area that she didn't want it to move in legally.
"This is becoming a dangerous zone to live in," she said.
Hudak said the law didn't pertain to leaf marijuana but strictly to liquid or pill forms, and only for medicinal use. Nobody would be allowed to walk up and purchase leaf marijuana, he said.
"That's still illegal in Pennsylvania," he said.
"I don't care how it's given," Fry said. "There's no such thing as medicinal marijuana."
Nolan said the state would only provide 15 licenses initially, statewide. Townships had to add the use to their zoning districts in the event that a developer became interested, he said.
In other news, commissioners are setting aside Phase Two of the Housenick Park and Trail Project to focus on Phases Three and Four.
Township Manager Melissa Shafer said the township would have had to tap into the general fund to pay for Phase Two. So commissioners opted to change focus to later phases.
"We didn't budget anything this year so I didn't want to dip into our reserves to pay for the project," Shafer said. "Totally grant funded. Just moving the phases around a little bit."
Phases Three and Four would include trails on the northern side of the property, repaving and widening existing trails. Additionally, the new scope would add a sitting area where the old garage's foundation is currently located.
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources awarded the township a $200,000 grant, which is about $14,000 shy of the amount applied for. While the Northampton County Open Space program grant will provide the remaining, cost it still leaves the township short of Phase Two's $427,000 total cost.
Phase Two focused on trails on the southern portion of the property.
Also, Commissioners gave the go-ahead Monday night to advertise for bid repairs on the Bethlehem Township Community Center.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Bethlehem Township Eyes Zoning Changes For Medical Marijuana
Author: Hannah Schroer
Contact: 610.797.4530
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: 69 News
