BELLVILLE — There won’t be any cannabis dispensaries operating in Bellville for at least six months.
Bellville’s village council imposed a temporary moratorium on cannabis businesses at its most recent council meeting Tuesday.
The resolution prohibits both medicinal and recreational cannabis businesses from operating within village limits for the next six months, according to council member Jason Guilliams.
The resolution was not on the agenda and was passed as emergency legislation.
Ohio medical marijuana company eyes crossroads property
The vote came just three weeks after Bellville’s planning commission considered a request from Standard Wellness, an Ohio medical marijuana company, to open a dispensary near the OH-97/I-71 interchange.
However, Bellville zoning inspector Larry Weirich confirmed the company applied for a conditional use permit to build and operate a facility on a 1.3 acre lot on State Route 97, directly north of Burger King.
“(Standard Wellness) wanted to put it in the B3 district, which is highway business, which allows for primarily hotels and restaurants,” Weirich said. “There’s also conditional uses, services stations, retail, things of that nature.”
Nate Warmath, who owns the land, told Richland Source the Standard Wellness plans to sell both medicinal and recreational marijuana at the proposed facility. Representatives from Standard Wellness did not respond to requests for comment.
Bellville’s planning commission met and voted on Standard Wellness conditional use application on Dec. 18. The five-member commission currently has a vacancy and the vote was split 2-2.
Bellville Mayor Teri Brenkus said Standard Wellness first reached out to the village government in August.
Council members told Richland Source they didn’t hear much about the project after that and were surprised to hear planning commission nearly granted the company’s permit request last month.
Village council member Deb Carver said legislators passed the six-month moratorium to allow for more public input on the matter.
“We just want the process to slow down so the community has time to hear all the information,” she said.
Council members consider zoning change, ask for public input
Councilman Justin Enix cast the lone vote against the moratorium. Enix said his opposition was largely procedural.
“I opposed it because it was passed by emergency without public input,” he said. “Nobody that might have supported (the dispensary) had the chance to show up.
“My no vote wasn’t necessarily on the merits of it. I just wanted to give people time to talk about it.”
Enix said council typically reads proposed legislation at several meetings before voting. Council members have the option to waive those additional readings by passing proposed ordinances as “emergency legislation.”
Enix said he believes he and the rest of council have the same goal — to allow more time for community discussion.
“Ultimately, I think all of council just wants to have input in big decisions like this,” he said.
Bellville’s council also voted 6-0 to request a recommendation from the village planning commission concerning an amendment to the zoning code.
Recreational marijuana only became legal in Ohio last month, after the November ballot initiative known as Issue 2 took effect.
Ohio’s new law allows local municipalities to ban dispensaries, but Bellville hasn’t taken that step yet.
“Because recreational use marijuana has been illegal until this recent election, there’s nothing in our code that specifically addresses marijuana use, whether recreationally or medicinally,” Guilliams said.
Per Bellville’s zoning code, council can adopt recommendations from the village planning commission by a majority vote. Any amendment to the zoning code that differs from the planning commission’s recommendation requires a three-fourths majority vote.
Local pastors, law enforcement oppose dispensaries
Several area pastors, residents and law enforcement have voiced their opposition to a dispensary.
While Ohio law only allows recreational marijuana use for adults 21 and older, opponents claim a retailer nearby could lead to an increase in underage use.
Richland County Sheriff J. Steve Sheldon and Mansfield Police Chief Keith Porch wrote letters discouraging local governments from allowing recreational marijuana facilities to operate.
Porch serves as the project director the METRICH Enforcement Unit, a multi-county task force aimed at combatting illegal drug use.
“We’re a community of children and families and at some point, revenue should not be placed above maintaining the security and sanctity of our community and your families,” Porch wrote in the letter.
Brady Marquette, executive director of Community Action for Capable Youth, also wrote a letter urging lawmakers to carefully consider the potential health impacts of a dispensary.
“We are deeply worried that a dispensary may increase drug availability in our community,” Marquette wrote. “Research indicates that the presence of marijuana dispensaries can contribute to an increase in adolescent curiosity and experimentation with cannabis.”
Council members also received a letter signed by more than 60 area clergy, requesting emergency legislation banning the cultivation, processing and dispensing of marijuana.
Bellville resident Steve McKinley spoke against the dispensary during a council meeting.
“I wanted to make sure that our village sends a message about right and wrong, that we don’t approve of the village approving activities that are harmful to our citizens and in particular harm to youth,” said McKinley, who serves as Richland County Juvenile Court Judge.
“Youth are not well cared for when they are being cared for by parents who are recreationally using — and youth tend to get into delinquent behavior when they are under the influence of marijuana.”
Stigma may keep supporters from speaking out
Council members said feedback they get from the public will ultimately inform their vote on the matter.
“In general, I’m a free-market guy. I support free markets and individual liberty,” Enix said. “But I also understand that certain businesses impact the community differently.”
Both Brenkus and Enix said they’ve spoken with some residents who are afraid to publicly support the dispensary due to the stigmas attached to marijuana use.
“I’ve heard from a lot of people on both sides of this issue,” Brenkus said.
“Unfortunately, the side who supports the dispensary (mainly due health concerns like sleep deprivation, horrible side effects from prescription medication, high anxiety, intense pain from autoimmune and chronic illnesses and seizures) always ask that their name not be shared due of the negative backlash that follow from other residents which is heartbreaking.
“It’s also heartbreaking to see families dealing with all kinds of addiction.”
Nate Warmath, who owns the site of the proposed dispensary, said he was frustrated by the community’s resistance.
“Everybody’s looking at this as a negative. But there’s so many veterans that rely on medical marijuana and also other people that have medical conditions,” said Warmath, a retired U.S. Marine.
“There’s so many bars and gas stations that sell beer and everything. They can put those in. … This is not a just a marijuana shop, it’s to help people.”
Dispensary would boost municipal revenues for Bellville
Under Issue 2, adult use marijuana sales are taxed at 10 percent on top of existing state and county sales taxes. A portion of that tax revenue would go back to local municipalities.
“The revenue prediction from the high security medical/recreational dispensary is around $400,000 annually,” Brenkus said.
Brenkus said those funds could benefit the village a time when the police department is stretched thin and road maintenance costs are rising.
“We have been struggling to pay our officers higher wages and increase our police department staffing,” she said. “We currently only have five full time officers for 24/7 coverage.”
Brenkus said the village has increased the hourly rate for police officers by about $6 dollars an hour. The department still can’t compete with other municipalities, which offer thousands in sign-on bonuses, higher wages and increased benefits.
Brenkus said Bellville is also responsible for more road maintenance than previously due to changes from the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT).
“In addition to our police department needs, villages within ODOT District 3 were strapped two years ago with the annual maintenance of state routes, which includes State Route 97 and State Route 13 for Bellville, with no additional funding offered by the state to cover those expenses,” she said.
McKinley said he believes the impact of marijuana on the community will outweigh any benefits in revenue.
“It’s more important that people function well mentally than that we have some additional tax revenue, which is most likely going to be offset by additional problems with crimes and delinquency and child neglect,” he said.