The Akron Planning Commission shot down every proposal in the first round of prospective medical marijuana growers.
The five-member commission met Friday, splitting 3-2 on four proposals for marijuana grow sites in Akron and unanimously voting down a fifth on South Broadway after its backer didn’t show up to lobby for the plan.
A month ago, the City Council and Mayor Dan Horrigan passed a legislative framework to regulate the local growing, processing, testing and selling of marijuana in accordance with a new state law that says licensed doctors can start recommending the drug in September 2018.
Akron, like most local governments that grappled with the new state law, had initially passed a one-year moratorium on any activity related to medical marijuana. That moratorium was lifted in May so that cultivators could begin filing for zoning requests this month.
The first six proposals include scantly detailed applications to build indoor, hydroponic or greenhouse grow sites. The cheapest is budgeted to cost $50,000. The most expensive could top $6 million.
Prospective cultivators and landowners presented their plans Friday morning to the Akron Planning Commission, which voted to recommend that City Council not approve a conditional use for these first five sites at 171 Kelly Ave.; 1956 S. Main St.; 1055 Home Ave.; 1023 and 1025 South Broadway; and Harlem Road (parcel numbers 6852309 and 6857723). Because the state has set a cap on the number and concentration of facilities, it’s unlikely that more than two grow sites would go up in Akron.
“I don’t know that we have enough information yet to make a fair comparison of the positives and negatives of these things,” said Tina Boyes, who along with fellow planning commissioner Teresa LeGrair voted for four of the proposals. Voting against all of them were Kenneth Jones, Julie Ann Sweet-Buntin and Renee Greene.
City Council members will take the commission’s recommendations into consideration when they debate the zoning of the first five properties June 26. The public can comment then at 1:30 p.m. or 7 p.m. in council’s chambers on the third floor of City Hall.
At-large Councilman Jeff Fusco understands why the commissioners, having few details, voted no. He said that on June 26 he expects each landowner looking for conditional zoning to have blueprints and architectural renderings with clearly detailed plans for adequate lighting and security.
Should the City Council approve, these cultivators and property owners would still need a special license from the state. They could then return to Akron to seek a local operator’s license. The City Council and Akron police would have a chance to say no then, even if they say yes later this month.
Doug Livingston can be reached at 330-996-3792 or dlivingston@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @ABJDoug .