Legislation that would permit recreational marijuana in certain districts in the city is voted out of a Wilmington City Council committee.
The Community Development and Urban Planning Committee Meeting unanimously backed the legislation to regulate and restrict recreational marijuana uses in the city.
The legislation - which now goes to the full council - identifies specific zoning districts where cultivation, manufacturing, testing and retail operations can operate by right or special exception. They are largely on the city’s east side.
The proposal will not permit any activity in residential or commercial districts except C-5.
They will be permitted M-1, M-2, W-1, W-2, and W-3. And retail and testing will be allowed in W-4 as a special exception.
Wilmington planning manager Gwinn Kaminsky says this legislation prevents those four licensed uses of marijuana from popping up anywhere.
"For example, marijuana retail stores would be allowed anywhere retail is generally permitted, and marijuana manufacturing would be allowed where manufacturing uses are permitted,” said Kaminsky. “Also, by not taking any action, we miss the opportunity to require buffer zones between marijuana uses and sensitive areas like residential neighborhoods and schools.
The proposal calls for any marijuana operations to maintain a 300-foot buffer from residential districts and schools and none are permitted in any residential district and most commercial districts.
Wilmington City Councilman At-Large James Spadola wasn’t part of the committee, but he supports this legislation.
"It's restrictive enough where the many residents who are outraged at the possibility of a dispensary coming into their neighborhood, this will prevent that, but it also gives some access and it gives the opportunity for dispensaries to prove themselves as good neighbors. And like I said last year, we can always loosen the restrictions as circumstances allow," said Spadola.
If passed by city council and signed into law marijuana use will not be permitted in public spaces including parks or in vehicles, and all marijuana uses must obtain a city business license.
