News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Rules ready for council if voters OK marijuana

It only took the Planning Commission a few minutes to adopt Resolution 2018-07, recommending the City Council adopt Development Code text amendments (TA#18-02) establishing new land-use regulations for retail sale, producing, growing, processing, wholesaling, research, and testing of marijuana and related amendments to definition and use tables.

No members of the public attended the hearing to speak in favor or against the amendments. They were previously reviewed in workshops held by the Planning Commission on July 19 and August 16, and City Council on August 8 and 22.

The citizens of the city are currently voting on two ballot measures explained on the blue insert in the ballot envelope regarding local marijuana measures. Local measure 9-122, if approved, allows recreational and medical marijuana establishments in Sisters. Approval makes the City eligible to receive distribution of state marijuana tax revenues.

Local measure 9-123, if approved, will impose a local three percent tax on the sale of marijuana items by marijuana retailers in the city. The tax will be collected at the point of sale and remitted by the marijuana seller. The tax measure will become operative upon passage only if the voters approve 9-122.

The proposed land-use regulation text amendments create special provisions for marijuana businesses and establish permitted locations for different types of businesses. Industrial uses are allowed in light industrial and North Sisters Business Park zones with special provisions such as no outdoor grows. There are no spacing requirements between any uses on separate parcels.

Retail establishments are allowed in downtown commercial and highway commercial zones, with a 1,000-foot buffer requirement from schools, public or private. There is a 114-foot buffer from Cascade Avenue right-of-way between Pine and Locust. There is a standard default to the Development Code for hours of operation, lighting, signage, parking, loading, and dark skies, as well as default to other OLCC mandated requirements.

Changes to the City's Municipal Code related to marijuana businesses are also proposed including time, place, and manner (TPM) regulations. The ordinance to adopt Municipal Code amendments related to marijuana businesses is tentatively scheduled for a City Council public hearing on November 14.

 

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