City votes to permit marijuana businesses 6-1

By Judy Reed

After a seventh-month long process of community forums and public input that began in November 2019, the City of Cedar Springs voted last Thursday evening, June 11, to allow the licensing and operation of adult recreational marijuana businesses within its city limits.

The vote was 6-1, with Councilman Jerry Gross Sr. dissenting.

When the statewide vote passed in the fall of 2018 to allow recreational marijuana use and sales, Cedar Springs initially opted out early on, saying they would consider it once the state came up with a set a guidelines. Once the state had guidelines in place, the City then brought it back up for consideration. 

The City will allow an unlimited number of Growers, Excess Growers, Processors, Microbusinesses, Retailers and Safety Compliance Facilities, subject to certain zoning requirements, Planning Commission approval and a licensing fee.

“The City is excited to work with the marihuana industry to bring high-quality jobs to Cedar Springs while simultaneously providing citizens with access to products with both medical and recreational uses” said City Manager Mike Womack. “The City Council and Planning Commission put a lot of work into developing these ordinances that reflect the will of the 59 percent of Cedar Springs voters that voted in favor of IL 1 of 2018.”

All proposed marihuana businesses are considered Special Land Uses and must receive approval for that use by the Planning Commission.

Marihuana businesses that meet the State’s pre-qualification requirements will be able to submit site plan applications and City marihuana license application materials by July 16 for the August 11 Planning Commission meeting.

The City is requiring a 1000-foot separation from all pre-existing K-12 schools, measured from the property line for all marijuana businesses. There will be no marijuana business permitted on Main St. south of Ash St nor on Muskegon east of the White Pine Trail. 

No marijuana business may share a parcel with any residential use (no apartments upstairs), and they may not share a property line with a single-family residential use.

For a quick guide summary on the regulations, go to https://cityofcedarsprings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/MJ-Quick-Guide.pdf.

Prospective businesses and interested persons can find more information related to the City’s ordinances at www.cityofcedarsprings.org. Additional questions related to the City’s marihuana ordinances can be directed to City Manager Mike Womack at manager@cityofcedarsprings.org.