County Council approves emergency moratorium on marijuana producers, processors and retailers

King County Council approves 4 month moratorium in 8:1 vote

APRIL 25th 2016

Note - moratorium does not apply to permits that were in-process before ban....

The Metropolitan King County Council today gave its approval to emergency legislation sponsored by Council Vice Chair Reagan Dunn calling for a four-month moratorium on the acceptance of applications for or the establishment or location of marijuana producers and processors as well as retail establishments in Unincorporated King County.

The Washington state Liquor and Cannabis Board (“WSLCB”), working from 2015 state legislation that assessed the standards of medical and recreational marijuana, recently increased the number of accepted applications for additional producer and processor licenses. A number of the received by the WSLCB are from businesses looking to operate in rural and agriculturally zoned areas of unincorporated King County. These applications are raising concerns that allowing marijuana production and processing would violate the intent of rural zoning regulations in King County.

“For unincorporated communities in King County, the Council acts as the local government,” Dunn said. “It is therefore our job to make sure we are adequately serving and protecting the areas we represent. This moratorium will give us more time to study this issue in more depth and potentially make changes to better preserve rural communities.”

The Council’s vote on the moratorium was in part a response to the unincorporated residents who attended the King County Council’s Committee of the Whole in the unincorporated community of Ravensdale.

Current rural zoning in King County seeks to ‘preserve the rural character’ of unincorporated communities. Concern that the application process for establishing a marijuana production or processing facility does not sufficiently address the impacts and proliferation of these businesses in unincorporated communities have also been voiced. Possible impacts from these businesses include increased neighborhood crime, odors, noise, and potential environmental hazards.

In order to review these concerns in rural areas, the King County Council voted to pass an emergency four- month moratorium on the acceptance of applications for or the establishment or location of marijuana producers and processors. The emergency moratorium on marijuana producers and processors in unincorporated King County is outlined as follows:

• It will be in place for four months starting today, April 25, 2016

• It prohibits King County (Department of Permitting and Environmental Review, Public Health, Road Services Division, etc.) from accepting any permits for new marijuana producers, processors, and retail operations.

• It also prohibits new producers, processors, and retail operations from starting operations, in order to address smaller businesses that were established without requiring any County permits.

• It only applies to the unincorporated area, not any area within city limits.

Story from King County's website: http://www.kingcounty.gov/council/news/2016/April/04-25-RD-potmoratorium.aspx

NOTE - Moratorium does NOT apply to applications that were in-process before the ban

Show your support for a moratorium - email King County Council Monday 4/25

Monday 4/25:

Email the King County Council and ask them to support a moratorium on marijuana operations in unincorporated King County. The rural resident is feeling the impact and legislation is needed to ensure that both marijuana operations and the rural communities grow and thrive in King County.

Keep your email short and polite and send it to all of the members.

Here is a cut/paste for your TO box:

reagan.dunn@kingcounty.gov

rod.dembowski@kingcounty.gov

larry.gossett@kingcounty.gov

kathy.lambert@kingcounty.gov

jeanne.kohl-welles@kingcounty.gov

dave.upthegrove@kingcounty.gov

claudia.balducci@kingcounty.gov

pete.vonreichbauer@kingcounty.gov

joe.mcdermott@kingcounty.gov

Thank you for your support! 

April 25th Deadline is coming for Public Comment on Marijuana Operation in Hobart

April 25th is the due date for all Public Comment on Permit #CDUP16-0002

Your letters are due to the Department of Permitting and Environmental Review (DPER) by April 25th. Public Comment is important for the County to consider as they look to permit a Tier 3 30,000 sq. foot marijuana operation in a residential neighborhood in Hobart (see sidebar "Featured Post").

Send your letters, photos, and anything else you want considered to:

DPER
35030 SE Douglas Street
Suite 210
Snoqualmie WA 98065-9266

Your input is important to tell King County of the negative impact the residents will experience with permitting this industrial activity in a residential neighborhood. All material is considered in the review process, your own experiences with King County, such as Code Enforcement, DPER, rural law enforcement, are important. Comments on the environmental impact are important, as is input about the lack of protection from increased crime, diminished property values, and noxious pollution.

Information on this site will help you format your premise.

Thank you for your support!!

Video available from April 6th King County meeting in Ravensdale!

Rural Residents respond to King County on Marijuana Zoning problems at the COW

April 6, 2016
King County's Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting at the Gracie Hansen Building in Ravensdale had a great show of force for the Rural Resident negatively impacted by marijuana operations. 

Thank you to King County for hosting a meeting in the rural area and THANK YOU to those that participated in public comment at the end of the meeting. Your testimony is IMPORTANT!!

Here is the video link, Sheriff Urquhart's presentation on the reduced budget and cutting enforcement starts at section 5 - THIS WILL IMPACT RURAL RESIDENTS.  

All the testimony was excellent, 3 Enumclaw residents gave back-to-back testimony starting at 54:28 that are great education. 

Video from King County Committee of the Whole - Apr 6th, 2016