Berkley officials are working so that the city can accept applications for medical and recreational marijuana facilities starting in January.
The City Council this week moved to opt in to the statewide recreational marijuana business application process at that time.
City Manager Matt Baumgarten said the city has delayed accepting marijuana businesses until after December so that the Berkley has time to draft local rules on pot facilities, such as retailers, testers, growers and micro-businesses.
“The state starts accepting applications in the fall,” he said. “Our concern is about applications the state may approve for (marijuana) businesses that are in play for Berkley. We know there are applicants interested in coming to Berkley.”
City officials enacted the delay because they don’t want any marijuana businesses to be approved by the state for Berkley without the city first having its own ordinances in place.
“A portion of getting a (marijuana business) permit has to reflect Berkley standards,” Baumgarten said.
Mayor Dan Terbrack in a statement said the city is on track to accept applications right after the end of the year.
Berkey needs additional time “to make sure we have the proper tools in place to ensure these businesses operate successfully in a way that promotes public safety,” Terbrack said, “and upholds our community character and values, that our residents are comfortable with.”
Draft ordinances on licensing and zoning are available on the city’s website that will be firmed up by officials in the coming months.
“The ordinances have been submitted to the City Council for revision,” Baumgarten said. “They would then have to go through a first and second reading. Thirty days after that our ordinances would go into effect.”
Over 70 percent of voters who cast ballots in Berkley on recreational marijuana approved legalizing it in the November 2018 election.
Berkley has surveyed residents and in February conducted a town hall meeting for residents as officials sought to gauge sentiments on having marijuana facilities and retail stores in town.
More than 100 attendees were on hand. Part of the event included residents indicating where they believe marijuana businesses should be located.
The result showed that residents favored having the businesses located either on 11 Mile or 12 Mile roads, Coolidge Highway or Woodard Avenue.
About 60 percent of the more than 1,100 people who took a city survey support having marijuana businesses in Berkley.
There are seven different kinds of licenses for marijuana businesses offered by the state.
Baumgarten said city officials want to weigh which of the kinds of businesses are most appropriate for Berkley and how many of them should be allowed.
“We have to determine which of those are right for the city, the location where we want to see them opening and a merit-based process for determining the top applicants,” he said.
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