The Manchester Planning and Zoning Commission on Monday voted to adopt zoning regulations that would permit cannabis retailers and cultivators to operate in certain zones.
“I think our town has the opportunity and is the type of town to do really well to have this type establishment,” Chairman Eric Prause said after the commission vote. “The decision has been made by the state that this is a use that we want to have in our state, and I don’t think we want Manchester to be in a place where we have restricted (retailers) so much that it’s hard to find a market for a property in town.”
Commission members Eric Krause, Dean Ott, Patrick Kennedy, and Teresa Ike voted to allow the changes, and Bonnie Potocki abstained.
PZC members agreed that adding cannabis retailers and cultivators to its list of uses allowed with a special exception permit wouldn’t pose a threat to the community. They called the new zoning regulations a good compromise between public health and safety and economic opportunity in Manchester.
Every cannabis retailer or cultivator will be required to obtain a special permit, which Manchester refers to as a special exception. If granted a special exception, the cannabis establishment won’t be allowed to open until the state starts handing out licenses at some point next year.
The adopted zoning rules place some restrictions on cannabis facilities, such as hours of operation and proximity from certain institutions. The PZC chose to use the same hours of operation as its liquor stores, which are open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Cannabis facilities must also be located at least 500 feet from schools, and 200 feet from the property line of religious and charitable institutions, hospitals, and veterans homes.
The commission heard comments from two community members during the public hearing portion of its meeting.
Town Planner Gary Anderson read a written statement from Manchester property owner Dominick Demartino, who said allowing cannabis facilities would have significant benefits for Manchester and provide a “safe regulated market for consumers.”
“Allowing cannabis business to operate in Manchester would stimulate economic growth by providing job opportunities, tourism, and revenue for the town,” Demartino wrote.
Resident Judith Bergeson said she hoped Manchester would prohibit recreational cannabis sales “for the health and safety of its citizens from the youth all the way through to the adults and senior citizens.”
Connecticut’s new law allows municipalities to pose a 3% tax on recreational cannabis sales. Bergeson asked the commission to consider other sources of tax revenue “that would not be detrimental to the youth or citizens.”
“It would be safer for the town not to have retail sales at the very least, especially up in the Buckland Hills area,” Bergeson said.
After hearing Bergeson’s comments, the PZC chose to slightly revise the language of the zoning regulations and slightly extend the distance cannabis retailers and cultivators must be located from certain institutions.
“We don’t really want facilities right at the edge of a schoolyard,” Commissioner Patrick Kennedy said. “I probably would just amend the language to run to the property line rather than the actual school building. Other than that I don’t really have any objections to the proposed language.”
PZC members addressed Bergeson’s health and safety concerns before voting to allow the zoning changes. Prause said the new zoning rules contain the necessary buffers with its distance regulations from certain institutions, and “I don’t think we really need to worry about the public safety aspect.”
Prause said he envisioned cannabis retailers serving more as a commercial place and wouldn’t be a location for people to congregate.
“I think this is a good compromise based off what we’ve heard in the public hearing and what we’ve discussed, both in making sure that the residents and children of Manchester are safe, while still approving this and allowing for opportunities in Manchester,” Ott said.
