Within weeks of marijuana becoming legal in Connecticut, local governments are looking to clamp down.
Avon planners may “just say no” to recreational pot shops, Canton is looking at a moratorium against them, and a Southington woman is campaigning for a public vote to block her town’s officials from prohibiting pot stores.
Plainville is waiting for a developer to propose a marijuana-growing business at an old warehouse, but at the same time the town is considering a ban again any smoking in public parks so it can keep marijuana out.
“We’ve allowed smoking (tobacco) in parks before, but this is a game-changer,” said Plainville Town Manager Robert Lee, who plans to talk with his town council this week about how to proceed with local marijuana regulations.
When it became the 19th state to legalize marijuana, Connecticut pointedly left each town to work out many of the details. Adults may now possess marijuana, but communities are free to dictate where they can smoke it.
Pot stores could be opening as soon as mid-2022, but each town and city will be deciding where — or if — they will be allowed. Greenwich, Newtown and Prospect have already decided to ban pot stores altogether, and more are likely to follow this month.
Much of the decision-making is in the hands of local planning and zoning boards, which can restrict recreational marijuana retailers to specific zones or impose requirements that effectively limit them to a tiny section of town.
“We’re getting calls and emails about this, asking what’s allowed under the bill and trying to understand it,” said Mike Muszynski, state and federal relations manager for the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities. “We’re thinking of doing a webinar with municipal CEOs and attorneys to provide a framework about what’s allowed.”
Avon’s planners have scheduled a hearing for Tuesday night on a proposal to prohibit recreational marijuana retailers from town. The next night, Canton’s planning and zoning commission will discussing putting a temporary moratorium on recreational marijuana dispensaries.
“The moratorium will allow the town to ‘hit the pause button’ to review the impacts of the new law and determine whether any special regulations pertaining to recreational marijuana dispensaries should be adopted,” Canton Town Planner Neil Pade said.
At the town council’s request, Southington’s planning and zoning commission plans to talk Tuesday night about options for blocking recreational marijuana retailers. But resident Stacey Dolan wants to put the brakes on that and leave the decision in the hands of voters; she has started a petition drive to force a November referendum.
“This decision needs time and research — not a kneejerk reaction from the town council to nip it in the bud,” she said Friday in a Facebook post promoting the campaign. “It is already on the agenda for Tuesday on how to prevent the dispensary.”
State lawmakers envisioned some communities having disagreements about whether to allow marijuana stores, so the legalization bill includes a provision requiring a referendum if 10% of voters sign a petition. Dolan on Friday was inviting residents to the town’s drive-in theater to sign before an evening event.
“Please come out and support me and democracy tonight,” wrote Dolan, founder of the popular Southington Talks page. “This is a petition simply to allow the question to appear on the November ballot. This is not a petition to add a dispensary to our town. If you believe in your right of choice, you need to come down and be heard.”
West Hartford is undertaking a lengthy study of how to proceed, South Windsor’s council will discuss the issue this week, and East Hartford Mayor Maria Leclerc expects her council will talk with planning officials later in the year.
“We will use our existing regulations for medical marijuana dispensaries as a start and examine if we need to make any changes to that,” Leclerc said. “We are developing possible mapping to show the commission where they would be allowed if we use and expand the existing regulations.”
Middletown is leaning toward a relatively welcoming approach.
“Our planning and land use department is proactively looking to modify our zoning code to allow for recreational dispensaries in areas that would be suitable for that type of business,” said Bobbye Knoll Peterson, chief of staff to Mayor Ben Florsheim.
Communities are also beginning to consider where they’ll allow people to smoke marijuana. Between now and October, cities of more than 50,000 must designate at least one public place where it’s permissible. Smaller towns have no such obligation.
State law bans all smoking in stores, workplaces, state parks and beaches, along with other locations. But towns can decide about streets, sidewalks, parks and local beaches.
Plainville, for instance, has long allowed tobacco smoking in its parks, but Lee wants officials to consider if that should continue. The town bans alcohol in parks, and may want to prohibit all smoking as well.
At the same time, the town should be looking at its zoning regulations as they would apply to marijuana-growing businesses. The town has heard informal interest about using a former warehouse on Woodford Road for that type of business.
Lee expects to present information to his council this week.
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