PASCO, Wash. — The City of Pasco held their second listening session on the topic of retail cannabis sales Tuesday night. People joined from all over the community to share their thoughts on removing the moratorium banning the production, processing and retail sales of cannabis.
If legalized in the city, there are 1000 foot buffers around locations such as school zones, playgrounds, childcare centers and more.
Dave Zabell, the Pasco City Manager, explained cannabis retailers might be able to set up around industrial or commercial zones. The council requested to hear where the community would want cannabis shops set up if it were to be allowed in the city.
“Now it’s really about these nuances. If we’re going to do it, where?” Asked Zabell.
20 people brought their opinions to the table for the second listening session, with even more in the audience. Some were ready for a marijuana shop…
“My business is empty. I would like to put a retail store there,” said one property owner.
…and some don’t want to add cannabis sales to downtown Pasco.
“The people of downtown Pasco worked really hard to make it a real family community,” said one resident.
There were a few who acknowledged the progress made in the city. They said it might have a place in Pasco, just not downtown.
“We spent millions of dollars on Peanuts Park to try to improve Pasco. I don’t really have a problem with it. I just don’t want it in the downtown corridor,” a community member said.
The alternative to putting it downtown, is potentially putting it in the industrial zone.
“It’s just location, location, location,” one man said. “You want to open a marijuana shop? Put it in the industrial park, let’s try it out.”
But there were others who said sending it outside of the city would be counterintuitive to the progress and money spent on downtown.
“Do not send any new business out of the city, because every new business is going to King City,” one person said. “We invest a lot of money and profits here to send it into new business outside.”
The Pasco City Council will discuss what they’ve heard through the listening session. Nothing will be set in stone for months, or maybe even a year.
This is an evolving story, and we will keep you updated as decisions are made.
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