Petition started to bring to King County Council's attention, the negative impacts of marijuana producing and processing to the rural zone.
Sign the petition through this link on change.org
"Honorable King County Council,
Thank you for passing King County Ordinance 18269 and allowing time for public input on marijuana production and processing facilities. As you know, this issue is important to all residents of King County and we thank you for making it a priority for additional legislation.
We, the undersigned, oppose marijuana production and processing in the rural area zone. It is an industrial activity that is incompatible with residential neighborhoods and the purpose of the rural zone. We respect that Initiative 502 was passed by the voters and this letter is not a debate about the legality or morality of marijuana; it is a response to the Council’s request to better understand the impacts that the new law has on the rural resident, their homes, their families, their properties, and the environment.
The Rural Area (RA) zone designation does not mean “uninhabited cow pastures out past city limits”. Rural zones have communities, residential neighborhoods, and families, just like cities. However, rural residents do not have the same protections or services as a municipality and we rely on King County, through use of it’s zoning laws, to look out for our public health, safety, and welfare.
Placing marijuana producing and processing businesses within rural residential neighborhoods creates a public nuisance and negatively impacts the surrounding properties with:
- Noxious, permeating odor
- Increased criminal activity
- Lowered property value
- Increased traffic
- Increased noise and light pollution
- Increased chemical use and waste
- Increased risk to public health and safety
- Increased risks to rural water systems and wells
- Increased risks to the environment, especially critical areas
- Unjust financial burden on rural residents who have to take legal action to enforce neighborhood covenants
- Unjust burden on rural residents who have to monitor, report, and engage enforcement for illegal or prohibited activity
- Unjust harassment and intimidation by business owners
It is understandable that these impacts had been difficult to predict at the onset of legislation, however King County Council has heard honest and passionate testimony in recent community meetings throughout the rural area that these impacts are real and are happening to people now. Neighboring counties such as Snohomish and Chelan report these same impacts to their rural residents. Additionally, illegal operations continue to plague many of our neighborhoods, with no help with enforcement from any agency that has been charged to do so, which has only added to the anxiety that the rural resident is experiencing.
We can all agree that the marijuana industry is new and revolutionary for Washington State and is expected to create jobs, entrepreneurial opportunities, and revenue. It is the responsibility of those creating legislation for it to identify and acknowledge the specific requirements that this industry needs for infrastructure, support, growth and expansion. The Rural Area zone cannot provide the proper services for odor control, chemical waste management, law enforcement, emergency response, employee requirements and pollution mitigation that this industrial activity produces. These businesses must be placed in zones that are more suitable, such as Industrial or Commercial, where odor, pollution, access, environmental, employee, security, and other requirements can be successfully satisfied.
We respectfully submit that our King County Council legislate to protect the Rural Areas and not allow marijuana producing and processing in the RA zone. By doing so you are no longer allowing these businesses to diminish the public health, safety, and welfare of the neighboring residential and rural properties.
Thank you for the opportunity to have input into this new legislation and for supporting your rural residents of King County. "