Rural Area Supporters, NOW is the time to act!

King County Public Hearing on Marijuana Ordinances held 7/25 at 130p

King County is holding a public hearing on Marijuana Ordinances 2016-0236 and 2016-0254, Monday 7/25 at 130p at the downtown Seattle Courthouse. 

This is your FINAL opportunity to testify on banning marijuana production and processing in the Rural Area zone! Public testimony will be heard starting at 130p. If you wish to testify, get there early to sign up! If you do not wish to testify, PLEASE bring your letters and comments and submit them to the Council. As you can see from past meetings, those are submitted and considered part of the public record. 

Call, email, and write the King County Council members in advance of this important hearing and tell them to VOTE YES to ban marijuana production and processing in the RA zone! 

For more information on the ordinances, visit this link - http://www.kingcounty.gov/council/clerk/ordinances_advertised.aspx

Plan to attend this last opportunity or send someone who can, it is important to pack the chambers to stand up for the rural resident's equal zoning protections once and for all!

King County to consider doing NOTHING to current zoning regulations

King County considering doing NOTHING to change existing marijuana zoning regulations, leaving the rural resident holding the bag! 

After all the email, letters, representation, discussion, and show of good faith in meaningful dialog on behalf of the rural resident, the King County Council is considering doing NOTHING to change any zoning regulations and leave the rural resident holding the bag. 

Why? 

Because Big Marijuana money speaks louder than the needs of the rural resident and many on the Council are looking for election into other positions within government. 

So, dear Rural Resident, you have until July 25th to voice your displeasure at being set aside for someone else's political agenda because on 7/25 at the TrEE meeting, they will vote to change the law and/or end the moratorium, despite the official ending being in August. 

Get on the phones, fire up your email, send your letters and let all of the Council members know that doing nothing is not what we elected them for. 

Contact your King County family members or friends, who may live in other districts, and have them contact their representatives. As you know, Lambert and Dunn are not the issue, it is the city/urban reps that need to hear from their constituents that this is important to the public health, safety and well being of the rural community. 

Time is ticking!! 

Sign the Petition and Let King County Hear Your Voice

Rural Area Residents Petition for Change in Marijuana Regulation 

A petition has been created to communicate to King County Council the negative impacts that the rural resident has been experiencing.

Follow this link to Change.org and sign your name. Leave comments to communicate directly with your council members.

Your voice is important during the moratorium!

King County Council needs YOUR help

During the moratorium, King County needs to hear from you now more than ever

As King County examines current code and considers new legislation during this moratorium, it is important to REGULARLY communicate with them to keep your concerns at the forefront. 

You can be sure that the marijuana industry is campaigning even harder to persuade the Council to disregard the voice of the rural resident.

Set reminders on your calendar to email and call the Council and keep an active dialog with them over your concerns, some of them which may be: 

• Increased crime (proven impact, MAJOR concern as rural residents have less police protection than a municipality)
• Lowered property value 
• Increased traffic (commercial vehicles, employees, waste management, testing labs, and ARMED security guards)
• Increased chemical use (fertilizers, pesticides, growth hormones, growth retardants, fungicides, etc.)
• Increased noise (24x7 industrial activity) 
• Increased odor (MAJOR concern as Chelan County demonstrated already that it permeates anything fibrous, carpets, curtains, hair, clothes, etc.) 
• Increased light pollution (grow lights 24x7) 
• Increased risks to our public health and safety 
• Increased risks to our water systems (all those chemicals have to get washed off the plant at harvest and go into the ground. We are all on private wells with no protections for our water)
• Increased risks to the environment 

Read Chelan County's ban on it to understand why it was necessary: http://saverazones.blogspot.com/2016/03/chelan-county-permanently-bans.html

Marijuana production and processing is incompatible with the rural zone and it is up to the rural resident to bring that fact to the Council members. 

Now is the time to be contacting ALL of the council, here are the addresses you can cut/paste: 

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

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

Marijuana Production and Processing going up in Hobart

Permit # CDUP16-0002 for Tier3 Marijuana Producer and Processor at 20241 269th AVE SE in Hobart

On 3/25/16, King County installed the public notice sign on private property at the corner of SE 200th and 269th AVE SE to notify the public for a proposed "30,000 square foot outdoor area for recreational marijuana production on parcel zoned Rural Area (RA5)" located at 20241 269th AVE SE. 

Stated in the Operation Plan is 31,688 square feet of grow, additional greenhouses, outbuildings, employee parking stalls, next to wetlands, ponds, and 'secured' with an 8-foot fence.

Please see tab labeled "WHAT YOU NEED TO DO" on getting your voice heard about this activity. 

DUE DATE for public comment is 4/25/16, letters must be mailed to DPER. Please see tab labeled "DATES AND DEADLINES" on this blog. 

Your input is necessary to BAN this type of commercial and industrial activity in a residential neighborhood! Write your letters TODAY and get them mailed to DPER!!

All Rural Residents are affected by commercial activity going in our neighborhoods, YOU COULD BE NEXT!

Help the residents of this neighborhood in jeopardy!!

Chelan County permanently bans Marijuana Producing and Processing

Chelan County places permanent ban on Marijuana growing and processing due to overwhelming negative impact 

On February 16, 2016, the County Commissioners in Chelan County signed into law an exemplary resolution that permanently bans Marijuana Producing and Marijuana Processing, declaring it a public nuisance and mandating cessation within two years. 

Citing overwhelming negative impacts to individuals, families, property values, businesses, and the local economy, officials created and passed the amendments to "expeditiously preserve the health, safety, or welfare of the public".

After a year long growing season, the Commissioners heard testimony of the negative impacts the residents of Chelan County have had to endure, such as:

• Offensive, penetrating, and unhealthy odor for sustained periods of time exceeding months in duration, seeping into homes, clothing, and cars
• Extensive light pollution
• Increased crime and theft
• Increased noise, traffic 24x7

Chelan County has already experienced what King County is headed for! The people of that county got vocal and stood up for their rights, engaging their commissioners and letting their voice be heard. King County residents MUST do the same! Contact your King County Council member and tell them that you do not want Marijuana Producing or Processing in our rural zones! 

See the article here:

http://www.co.chelan.wa.us/news/article/marijuana-prohibition-resolution-no-2016-14