Amador County – A recent applicant for a medical marijuana dispensary in Sutter Creek spoke with the city planning commission Wednesday, asking for a determination for related zoning for a facility there.

The commission directed “staff to prepare and bring back a zoning consistency determination for the Motherlode Wellness Center” for the November Planning Commission meeting.

They also advised staff that “the commission does not feel a conditional use permit is a suitable way to go,” said Commissioner Frank Cunha, “but it’s their call” and staff may want to look at that method of zoning.

Cunha also moved that staff look into existing facilities to get opinions from local jurisdictions about them. He said he’d like to have staff “research numerous other existing facilities, and I’d like them to be in smaller communities similar to ours.” He asked staff to look at communities similar in size to Sutter Creek.

Planning Commission Chairman Cort Strandberg said it was not a public hearing but only a public input session about the issue. Commission clerk Mary Beth Van Voorhis introduced business partners, husband and wife, John Brown and Kasha Brown, owners and board members of Motherlode Wellness Center.

John Brown gave a presentation on the facility and answered questions about their corporation, which he said has five to seven dispensaries in Lassen County and the Bay Area. He said it was formed under the state “Compassionate Use Act” which legalized medical marijuana.

Van Voorhis said Motherlode Wellness had a completed application pending with the city for a conditional use permit for a marijuana dispensary, when the council repealed its code pertaining to the establishment of a dispensary. She said “due to the city council action, their application – per the city attorney – pretty much died on the table.”

Van Voorhis said the Browns “asked that the city keep their application deposit and give the corporation a zoning consistency determination for the facility.

City Manager Sean Rabe in a report to the commission said because the council took action September 20th repealing the ordinances, “the city can no longer process the conditional user permit application.”

Rabe said Motherlode Wellness “asked for a zoning consistency determination on whether or not a medical cannabis dispensary is an additional permitted use” under particular city zoning ordinance. They also sought a determination on whether a conditional use permit could allow it.

Rabe recommended the commission direct he and City Attorney Derek Cole “to prepare a draft determination for the commission to review and possibly act on” at its November regular meeting.

Story by Jim Reece. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.