Municipalities of the Kenai Peninsula are working to finalize their local authority for commercial marijuana sales.
The Kenai Planning and Zoning Commission held their fourth and final work session regarding land use and commercial marijuana growing Wednesday.
City Planner Matt Kelley says one issue the meeting addressed was growing outdoors.
Kelley: The recommendation is to not allow outdoor cultivation of commercial marijuana but based on public comments, to allow indoor cultivation on residential zoned parcels that are 40,000 square feet or greater in size with a conditional land use permit.”
Based on state regulations, there will also be a 500-foot buffer recommendation from the property lines of commercial marijuana establishments to property lines of things like:
- any schools including vocational programs: post-secondary schools including but not limited to trade, technical, or vocational schools; colleges; universities
- playgrounds
- parks
- public swimming pools
- youth centers
- adult and juvenile correctional facilities
- churches
- state licensed substance provider or facility providing substance abuse treatment
- housing facilities owned by a public housing authorities with children as residents
Commission members agreed they would like to add child daycare centers and medical clinics or hospitals to that list also.
The commission will take public comment on those proposals at 7:00 pm on November 10 during their regular meeting.
The recommendations will be brought to the city council and after the public process, an ordinance will be enacted no later than January 20, 2016.
The Kenai Peninsula Marijuana Task Force is also meeting tonight at 6 pm.
One item on that agenda is to discuss the overall proposed Marijuana Control Board commercial regulations which are due to be finalized by November 24.
