Wasilla council debates planned pot shop adjacent to city limits

WASILLA — Wasilla’s City Council officially is on record asking the Mat-Su Borough Planning Commission to deny a conditional use permit for a marijuana retail facility adjacent to the Wasilla city limits. At Monday evening’s regular session which saw a light agenda, Councilman Tim Burney asked Resolution 17-21 to be pulled off the consent agenda and placed under new business.

At issue is a planned marijuana retail establishment application to be located at 3361 West Machen Road. That places it adjacent to Wasilla city limit boundaries. The borough planning commission is expected to hold a public hearing concerning the application at its July 17 meeting.

Burney said he pulled it off the consent agenda and moved it to new business because he wanted additional information on the city’s request for a “no sales” buffer zone around the city limits. Mayor Bert Cottle explained that while marijuana sales are legal in most of the Mat-Su, residents of Wasilla voted down similar sales inside city limits. Cottle said following the borough vote, the city requested a 1,000-foot buffer around its boundaries. The mayor said at one point, the assembly considered 500 feet but ultimately rejected any buffer.

The topic of city annexation came up for discussion. Cottle said under current state statutes governing retail pot sales, there is no grandfathering in any retail or growing facilities. The mayor said the at present, any such business located inside any future annexed lands would have 90 days to relocate outside the city limits or face closing its doors.

During the discussion, Burney said with the expected future growth of the retail marijuana business, Wasilla could find itself akin to a “dry” county with a bunch of liquor stores around it. He said he doesn’t condone marijuana use but felt “…the ball is rolling and it’s coming our way.”

Deputy Mayor Stu Graham said at some point, society’s view of recreational marijuana use may change.

“Our residents said they don’t want it,” Graham said adding those entrepreneurs opting to locate close to the city limits were “rolling the dice”. He said by opposing the business permit, the city wasn’t enacting legislation but rather authorizing the administration to speak on the city’s behalf. Graham said there is no basis for the borough to reject the application but passing the resolution lets the commissioners know where the city stands.

The motion passed with Burney opposed.

The council discussed, and ultimately passed Ordinance 17-09. The ordinance, intended to clarify the use of commercial signs within the city limits, was tabled from the group’s May 22 meeting. The ordinance is intended to allow additional commercial business signage on properties zoned rural residential if the parcel is on an arterial or collector roadway.

During the discussion, the council agreed that a lot of work was done by the planning commission in revamping the document. However, one issue, a five-foot difference in sign setback between major highways and collector roads, brought forth additional converse. Rather than delaying adoption further, the council agreed to pass the ordinance and revisit it for possible changes in the future.

Resolution 17-19 was the sole item up for adoption on the meeting’s consent agenda. The document approved a 36-month lease agreement for The Alcove Salon at the Meta Rose Square in the amount of $9,180. Approved action items included awarding contracts to ARS Aleut Analytical for water and wastewater laboratory testing services, and a contract extension to Tew’s Inc. for fiscal year 2018 equipment rental and operator services.