MUNICIPALITY OF PARKMAN MORATORIUM
ORDINANCE ON RETAIL MARIJUANA ESTABLISHMENTS AND RETAIL
MARIJUANA STORES AND RETAIL MARIJUANA SOCIAL CLUBS
WHEREAS, the Marijuana Legalization Act (hereinafter, “Act”) authorizes municipalities to regulate the number of retail marijuana stores and the location and operation of retail marijuana social clubs and retail marijuana establishments, including retail marijuana stores, retail marijuana cultivation facilities, retail marijuana products manufacturing facilities and retail marijuana testing facilities, as those terms are defined in the Act, as well as providing the option to prohibit the operation of retail marijuana social clubs and retail marijuana establishments, including stores, cultivation facilities, manufacturing facilities and testing facilities, within their jurisdiction; and
WHEREAS, the proposed Act will not limit the privileges or rights afforded by the Maine Medical Use of Marijuana Act (22 M.R.S.A. § 2421- 2430-B) to qualifying patients, primary caregivers, or registered dispensaries, including cultivation facilities associated with any of those classifications; and
WHEREAS, the Municipality’s current ordinances do not include any regulations related to retail marijuana stores, retail marijuana establishments or retail marijuana social clubs under the proposed new Act; and
WHEREAS, the unregulated location and operation of retail marijuana establishments, retail marijuana stores and retail marijuana social clubs within the Municipality of Parkman raises legitimate and substantial questions about the impact of such establishments, stores and social clubs on the Municipality, including questions about the compatibility of retail marijuana establishments, retail marijuana stores and retail marijuana social clubs with existing uses and development in residential, commercial and industrial zoning districts; the potential adverse health and safety effects of retail marijuana establishments, retail marijuana stores and retail marijuana social clubs on the community if not properly regulated; the possibility of illicit sale of and use of marijuana and marijuana products to minors and misuse of marijuana and marijuana products by those who would abuse the uses authorized under the Act; potential criminal activity associated with the cultivation, manufacturing, sale and use of marijuana and marijuana products for non-medicinal purposes and the potential increased burden on the county police departments, as well as area fire departments; and the adequacy of the Municipality’s streets and infrastructure to accommodate the additional traffic and/or population that may result from the presence of retail marijuana establishments, retail marijuana stores or retail marijuana stores or retail marijuana social clubs; and
WHEREAS, the possible effect of the location and operation of retail marijuana establishments and/or retail marijuana stores and/or retail marijuana social clubs within the Municipality has potentially serious implications for the health, safety and welfare of the Municipality and its residents; and
WHEREAS, the Municipality needs time to review the Act and to review its own ordinances to determine the implications of future proposed retail marijuana establishments and/or retail marijuana stores and/or retail marijuana social clubs to develop reasonable ordinances governing the location and operations of such establishments and stores and social clubs to address the concerns cited above; and
WHEREAS, the Municipality’s current ordinances are insufficient to prevent serious public harm that could be caused by the unregulated development of retail marijuana establishments and retail marijuana stores and retail marijuana social clubs and other uses authorized by the Act, there by necessitating a moratorium; and
WHEREAS, the board of municipal officers, the administration, the planning board and the code enforcement officer shall study the Municipality’s current ordinances to determine the land use and other regulatory implications of retail marijuana establishments and retail marijuana stores and retail marijuana social clubs and consider what locations, if any, and conditions of approval, if any, might be appropriate for such uses; and
WHEREAS, a moratorium is necessary to prevent an overburdening of public facilities that is reasonably foreseeable as the result of retail marijuana establishments and retail marijuana stores and retail marijuana social clubs and other uses authorized by the Act, being located in the Municipality; and
WHEREAS, it is anticipated that such a study, review, and development of recommended ordinance changes will take at least one hundred and eighty (180) days from the date the Municipality enacts this Moratorium Ordinance on retail marijuana establishments and retail marijuana stores and retail marijuana social clubs;
NOW, THEREFORE, be it ordained by the legislative body of the Municipality of Parkman, that the following Moratorium Ordinance on retail marijuana establishments and retail marijuana stores and retail marijuana social clubs be, and hereby is, enacted, and, in furtherance thereof, the legislative body does hereby declare a moratorium on the location, operation or licensing of any retail marijuana social clubs and any retail marijuana establishments, including retail marijuana stores, retail marijuana cultivation facilities, retail marijuana products manufacturing facilities and retail marijuana testing facilities, within the Town.
This Moratorium Ordinance shall take effect, once enacted by the legislative body, but shall be applicable as of March 17, 2018 as expressly provided below. The moratorium shall remain in effect for one hundred and eighty (180) days from the date of applicability of this Ordinance, unless extended, repealed, or modified by the legislative body, for the express purpose of drafting an amendment or amendments to the Municipality’s current ordinances to protect the public from health and safety risks including, but not limited to, compatibility of retail marijuana establishments, retail marijuana stores and retail marijuana social clubs with existing and permitted uses in residential, commercial and industrial zoning districts; the correlation of retail marijuana establishments, retail marijuana stores and retail marijuana social clubs with medical marijuana cultivation facilities and dispensaries, all as defined in the Act; the potential adverse health and safety effects of retail marijuana establishments and retail marijuana stores and retail marijuana social clubs on the community if not properly regulated; the possibility of illicit sale and use of marijuana and marijuana products to minors and misuse of marijuana and marijuana products, those who would abuse the uses authorized under the new law; criminal activity associated with the cultivation, manufacturing, sale and use of marijuana and marijuana products for non-medicinal purposes and the potential increased burden on the public safety agencies serving the Municipality in responding to the same; and the adequacy of the Municipality’s infrastructure to accommodate the additional traffic and/or population that may result from the presence of retail marijuana establishments or retail marijuana stores or retail marijuana social clubs in the Municipality.
BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED, that this Ordinance shall apply to retail marijuana stores and retail marijuana social clubs and retail marijuana establishments, including retail marijuana stores, retail marijuana cultivation facilities, retail marijuana products manufacturing facilities and retail marijuana testing facilities, as those terms are defined by the Act, codified at 7 M.R.S.A. § 2442 (36),(38) (39), (40) (41), that may be proposed to be located within the Municipality on or after March 17, 2018 applicability date of this Ordinance; and
BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED, THAT NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROVISIONS OF M.R.S. A. § 302 or any other law to the contrary, this Ordinance, when enacted, shall govern any proposed retail marijuana establishments or retail marijuana stores or retail marijuana social clubs for which an application for a building permit, site plan or any other required approval has not been submitted to and granted final approval has not be submitted to and granted final approval by the Code Enforcement Officer, Planning Board or other Municipal official or board prior to the applicability date o this Ordinance; and
BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED, that no person or organization shall develop or operate a retail marijuana establishment or retail marijuana store or retail marijuana social club within the Municipality on or after the effective date of this Ordinance without complying with whatever ordinance amendment or amendments the legislative body may enact as a result of this Moratorium Ordinance; and
BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED, that during the time this Moratorium Ordinance is in effect, no officer, official, employee, office, administrative board or agency of the Municipality shall accept, process, approve, deny, or in any other way act upon any application for a license, building permit or any other type of land use approval or permit and/or any other permits or licenses related to a retail marijuana establishment or retail marijuana stores or retail marijuana social club; and
BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED, that those provisions of the Municipality’s ordinances that are inconsistent or conflicting with the provisions of this Ordinance are hereby repealed to the extent that they are applicable for the duration of the moratorium hereby ordained, and as it may be extended as permitted by law, but not otherwise; and
BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED, that if retail marijuana establishments or retail marijuana stores or retail marijuana social clubs are established in violation of this Ordinance, each day of any continuing violation shall constitute a separate violation of this Ordinance, and the Municipality shall be entitled to all rights available to it in law and equity, including, but not limited to, fines and penalties, injunctive relief, and its reasonable attorney’s fees and costs in prosecuting any such violations; and
BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED, that should any section or provision of this Ordinance be declared by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such a declaration shall not invalidate any other section or provision.
Attest: A true copy of a Moratorium Ordinance entitled “Municipality of Parkman Moratorium Ordinance on Retail Marijuana Establishments and Retail Marijuana Stores and Retail Marijuana Social Clubs” for the Town of Parkman as certified to me by the Municipal Officers of Parkman on the 8th day of February, 2018.
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Brenda J. Hartford, Town Clerk of Parkman