TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: Peter D. Lear, CPA, CGMA, Interim City Manager
TITLE: Siting and buffer requirements of medical cannabis dispensing facilities.
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Recommended Action
Provide direction regarding a potential amendment to the recently adopted ordinance for the siting of medical cannabis dispensing facilities.
Background Information
On November 22, 2016 the City Commission adopted Ordinance No. 2016-33, which amended the Unified Land Development Code to allow for medical cannabis dispensing facilities to locate within the City of North Port provided they meet the requirements of the ordinance. During commission discussion, an amendment was made to the motion to add an 800-foot buffer between any proposed medical cannabis dispensing facility and a residential property. City Commission directed staff to perform an analysis on the impact of this buffer and to return with an update. Staff performed this analysis and found that the 800-foot buffer severely limits the potential for placement of these facilities. Staff has performed additional analyses for a variety of scenarios that Commission could choose as an alternate to the numbers presented in the original ordinance as amended.
Staff was also directed to provide an update regarding the section of the ordinance that discusses lease requirements and with information regarding the regulations in cities which already have a medical cannabis dispensing facility located in their boundaries. Applicants are required to submit leases to prove occupancy for water service and to obtain certain City permits. Otherwise, a search of the City's codes revealed no requirement for leases to be inspected. A table providing information on the cities which have existing and/or proposed medical cannabis dispensing facilities along with the status of their regulations is provided in the backup, along ...
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