(New Buffalo, MI) - Whether to allow the sale of marijuana in New Buffalo is now up to the city council to decide. The New Buffalo Planning Commission on Tuesday voted 3-to-1 to recommend approval of a zoning ordinance specifying where marijuana shops can locate in the city.
City Manager Darwin Watson said the city council will begin the process next month of deciding whether to grant final approval to the proposed zoning ordinance and if the sale of marijuana should be legalized in the city. Unless amended, the proposed zoning ordinance would allow marijuana shops to locate in select locations primarily on the far east and far south sides of the city.
Communities in Michigan were given the option to allow for the sale of marijuana after voters statewide in 2018 chose to make the drug legal for retail distribution. New Buffalo decided not to allow for the sale of marijuana, but started considering it after taking a survey that disclosed registered voters in the city by about a 2-to-1 margin favored legalizing marijuana.
Planning Commission Chairman Paul Billingslea said he believes the proposed zoning ordinance accomplishes what he and his colleagues set out to do. That was to follow the wishes of citizens while not allowing marijuana to be sold in locations highly visible to the general public such as downtown.
“We tried to develop a zoning plan that keeps this on the edge of town in areas that are not highly occupied right now. We think this strikes the best balance,” he said.
Specifically, the proposed ordinance prohibits marijuana dispensaries from being within 1,000 feet of a school or church or adjacent to residentially zoned areas. The sale of marijuana would also be prohibited within the city’s central business district.
“It probably captures what we discussed previously,” said New Buffalo Planning Commission member Roxanne Rau.
“It’s exactly what we discussed,” said Debbie Schmidt, another member of the planning commission.
Voting against the favorable recommendation was New Buffalo Planning Commission member Mark Joseph, who felt allowing for the sale of marijuana would be a mistake. Joseph said marijuana is not viewed as seriously anymore but it still poses a risk to the physical and mental health of users. He also pointed to studies that show higher motor vehicle accident rates in communities where it’s legal. He said legalizing marijuana also sets a bad example for youth.
“I’m from the generation that saw marijuana make the leap from the underbelly of society to being accepted. I’ve seen too many people who have used it as a gateway drug and helped bury a couple of them,” Joseph said.
Mayor John Humphrey said the city council could make some minor changes like requiring marijuana shops be a certain distance from each other before voting on the proposed zoning ordinance. Humphrey said the city council will also review the regulations governing the operation of marijuana shops in Michigan before deciding whether to allow it to be sold here.
“There’s still a lot of discussion to be had. That’s where we’re at,” he said.
Watson said the earliest the city council can begin the final decision making process is during their next regularly scheduled meeting on April 17th.
He said the matter could be decided in July or August if there are no delays in the process, which require public hearings on the proposed zoning and legalization prior to a vote.
