By Abigail Brone on The Hour
NORWALK — Ahead of Tuesday night’s public hearing and anticipated vote on the city’s cannabis ordinance, some residents are concerned about large gatherings and the use of marijuana in public spaces like Veteran’s Park.
In February, the Common Council approved a nine-month ban on marijuana sales while officials established rules and regulations for the industry.
With the moratorium to expire before the year ends, the council’s Ordinance Committee is set to vote Tuesday on the final iteration of the cannabis ordinance, Committee member Josh Goldstein said. The vote will follow a public hearing during Tuesday’s meeting.
“Following (Tuesday’s) public hearing, we intend to vote on the ordinance. If it passes in the Ordinance Committee, the ordinance will then be submitted to the full Common Council for a vote, which will likely occur at our next meeting,” Goldstein said. “Our ordinance states that its effective date will be the same as the effective date of the city’s zoning regulations amendment, which is forthcoming.”
The council’s next meeting is set for Sept. 27, according to the city calendar.
By a 6-1 vote, the cannabis ordinance moved to a public hearing. The only person who voted against it was Bryan Meek, who has not responded to requests for comment about the ordinance.
Before public input is received and votes are cast, however, a virtual town hall was held Monday evening to address any questions.
“The Town Hall is an opportunity for the community to hear from subject matter experts and ask questions about the proposed cannabis ordinance, which will permit the retail sale of cannabis,” Goldstein said.
The Norwalk regulations will be a two-pronged process, with the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission determining where cannabis businesses can be located and what they may look like, while the Ordinance Committee determines the enforcement of laws and how the funds earned from marijuana sales will be distributed, Goldstein previously said.
Town Hall panelists included the city’s Community Services Director Lamond Daniels, director of Planning and Zoning Steve Kleppin, deputy commissioner of the state Department of Consumer Protection Andréa Comer and executive director of the state Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity, and Opportunity Steven Hernández, according to a city statement.
As of Monday afternoon, the city received nine questions ahead of the public meeting, city spokesperson Michelle Woods Matthews said.
The consistent narrative among the questions relate to the potential for large cannabis gatherings in the future, using Veteran’s Park for recreational cannabis use and events and the rationale for limiting the number of cannabis retailers when tobacco businesses do not face similar restrictions, Woods Matthews said.
In the proposed cannabis ordinance, voted on by the Council in May, three cannabis retailers could be allowed in Norwalk. Municipalities can have one cannabis establishment for every 25,000 residents, meaning Norwalk may open three cannabis retailers.
Chief among the regulations outlined by the Ordinance Committee in May was a requirement that no cannabis retailers operate within 1,000 feet of any schools, youth-servicing facilities or rehab/recovery centers, Norwalk Health Director Deanna D’Amore previously said.
Additionally, cannabis businesses will not be allowed within 500 feet of “sensitive sites” such as churches and health care institutions.
H/T: The Hour
