Mid Rivers Newsmagazine 5-22-19

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14 I NEWS I May 22, 2019 MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE Local officials tackle medical marijuana zoning @MIDRIVERSNEWS MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM By JEFFREY BRICKER Last November, voters across the state approved a ballot initiative for medical marijuana. While Election Day was the end of a long battle for some, it was just the beginning of another for others. Because when it comes to transferring a ballot question into public policy, as the old adage goes, “The devil is in the details.” The burden of developing the multitude of safeguards and regulations falls to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. The department has stated that it will begin to accept applications for cultivating, manufacturing and dispensing medical marijuana on Aug. 3. Currently, state officials estimate that medical marijuana will be available to patients in early 2020. Locally, municipalities are scrambling to adjust zoning ordinances in response to the new law. How those zoning ordinances are drafted, amended and enforced will have a significant impact on the location of medical marijuana facilities. One local community that’s already [Adobe stock photo] addressed zoning concerns for the medical marijuana industry is O’Fallon. On March 28, the O’Fallon City Council passed a 10-page bill amending their existing zoning code to add provisions for medical marijuana. One interesting element of the bill is a cap on the number of marijuana related businesses allowed within city limits. “No more than 10 medical marijuana dispensaries will be allowed within the city limits,” said Tom Drabelle, the city’s director of communications. “We think that will far exceed what will be necessary given the number of licenses likely being issued by the state.” As of April 25, 2019, DHSS reported it’s received 499 preapplication forms with fees paid totalling more than $3.5 million. Of those pre-application forms, 269 have been for dispensaries with 69 of those coming from applicants in the greater St. Louis area. A maximum of 60 cultivation licenses, 80 manufacturing licenses and 192 dispensary licenses will be issued in the state. Although the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services had initially said it would decide each application within 150 days of receipt, DHSS has since acknowledged the process could take longer depending on the number of applications received. O’Fallon’s new zoning ordinance for dispensaries also is one of the least restrictive adopted in the greater St. Louis area. The approved ordinance calls for a distance of not less than 250 feet from protected entities like churches, schools and day care centers. That’s a considerably shorter distance than required by state law. Amendment 2 calls for a 1,000-foot barrier but does allow for local municipalities to make the distance shorter if they choose. Dr. Bernard J. DuBray, superintendent for the Fort Zumwalt School District, didn’t know why local leaders would choose a shorter distance than mandated by the state but he said he hopes “they have a good reason.” “It’s like alcohol establishments, we’d like the distance between our schools and those at a maximum distance,” DuBray said. “I would prefer to have the distance as far as we can get it.” New state law allows local municipalities to regulate zoning just as they historically have, but with the exception that local authorities should not put unnecessary and unjust burdens on medical marijuana businesses. In other words, local zoning regulations cannot be so stringent as to make putting marijuana business within city limits practically impossible. Julie Powers, St. Peters’ director of economic development and planning, believes her community is ready even if the rules and regulations at the state level are still in flux. “When the final regulations come out See MEDICAL MARIJUANA, page 18 WE DELIVER ST. CHARLES COUNTY O’Fallon City Hall in O’Fallon, Missouri For more than 15 years, Mid Rivers Newsmagazine has been your exclusive source for St. Charles County news, politics, schools, sports, business and events. We are direct-mailed into more than 57,698+ St. Charles County homes. For our loyal advertisers and readers, WE DELIVER ST. CHARLES COUNTY. midriversnewsmagazine.com Advertising: (636) 591-0010
FACEBOOK.COM/MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM Dardenne Prairie mayor encourages use of Vulcan logic in North Hanley Road project May 22, 2019 MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE I NEWS I 15 By JOHN TREMMEL City governments face a constant challenge in weighing the needs and desires of most residents against the needs and desires of a few residents. City Engineer Luke Kehoe briefed the Dardenne Prairie Board of Aldermen at its May 1 workshop meeting regarding the plan for the North Hanley Road reconstruction project scheduled for construction in 2020. Kehoe summarized the public response to the plan as presented in an open house held at city hall on April 4. Mayor David Zucker joked, “The Cardinal’s home opener was delayed from April 4 to April 5 so as not to conflict with the open house, although perhaps inclement weather had something to do with moving the game.” Kehoe reported that two homeowners requested eliminating some sidewalks in order to save some trees planted at their front yard property lines. However, he added, “All of the other homeowner comments were positive, especially after they understood the full extent of the improvements, including the new sidewalks, and how the stormwater sewers would work.” The project will widen Hanley Road from Feise Road to Pleasant Meadow Drive to two standard lanes with selected center lanes for left turns, curbs, sidewalks and a signaled crosswalk. Storm sewers will replace the existing stormwater ditches. After Kehoe’s update, Zucker asked the aldermen to think about the homeowner feedback and be prepared to provide project guidance in the near future when North Hanley Road engineering plans are presented for formal approval by the board. Alderman John Gotway [Ward 3] said he was thinking about the project’s intent to create infrastructure “for the next 40 or 50 years,” and believed this is the time to look at the long-term instead of a few short-term objections. Alderman Kevin Klingerman [Ward 1] agreed with Gotway’s view and said the city “should do all that it could for this project now because the results will last for decades.” Alderman Mike Costlow [Ward 2] asked how much money would be saved by eliminating the sidewalk from the west side of the street. Kehoe said it would save about $40,000 of the $1.8 million total project cost. Zucker pointed out that St. Charles County and the East-West Gateway Council of Governments are covering 90% of the cost and the city is covering 10%. He said the actual savings to the city, created by eliminating the west sidewalk, would be only 10% of $40,000, or $4,000. Armed with that information, Costlow said, “It would seem wise to put in both sidewalks now, before any additional growth in the area, and to avoid potentially higher costs to do that work 10 years down the road.” Zucker closed the discussion by asking all of the aldermen to keep thinking about this for when it comes time to provide approval for the North Hanley Road final plans and RFP, as well as the future Stump Road project with similar plans for sidewalks. He also reminded the board about Star Trek’s Vulcan logic: “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one.” North Hanley Road, looking north from Feise Road [John Tremmel photo] READ FOR FUN & PRIZES!
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Mid Rivers Newsmagazine 5-22-19

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