Eden Prairie council approves first reading of ordinance to register cannabis retailers with buffers, caps and limited hours

The Eden Prairie City Council approved the first reading of an ordinance on April 1 establishing how the city will register and regulate recreational cannabis retail businesses, voting 5-0.

The ordinance would cap retail registrations at one per 12,500 residents — equal to five retailers in Eden Prairie — require a 1,000-foot buffer from K–12 schools, require 200 feet between retail establishments, and set operating hours from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. The measure also includes local compliance and enforcement provisions that city staff said will mirror the city’s alcohol and tobacco compliance checks.

City Manager Mr. Getchell introduced the item by noting that the state legalized recreational cannabis in 2023 and that the Office of Cannabis Management — known as the OCM at the state level — will license businesses but that local governments retain some land‑use and registration authority. "The state of Minnesota does the regulation of this new program," he said, and local regulations adopted by the council are intended to fit within the state framework.

Julie (Community Development Director, City of Eden Prairie) walked the council through the draft ordinance and visuals showing how the proposed 1,000-foot school buffer would affect potential retail sites. "Capping the number of retailers at 1 per 12,500 residents in Eden Prairie's situation…that would be 5 retail establishments within our borders," she said. She said about 70 of 418 properties that would otherwise permit retail uses would be affected by the school buffer (about 15% of eligible parcels) and that the buffer would impact a small share of commercial parcels (about 2%) and a larger share of industrial parcels (about 25%) because only a portion of some industrial buildings allow retail activity.

Julie said the draft ordinance includes a provision specifying that the school buffer applies where the school already exists, not when a school is established after a retail location is in place. "The buffer applies to situations where the school already exists, not where the school comes afterwards," she said.

Mayor Ronald E. Case framed the council’s approach as a compromise within limits set by state law. "We didn't create it, the legislature did, and the legislature directed us in many ways that tied our hands," he said, adding that the council viewed the draft as a cautious, initial approach that could be revisited as the state rules and local experience develop.

Council Member Lisa Toomey moved approval of the first reading; a second was offered and the measure passed on a voice vote reported as 5-0.

The ordinance, if enacted after subsequent readings and any required public hearings, would be codified as a new Section 5.81 in City Code Chapter 5 and would give the city a local registration mechanism that supplements state licensing. City staff said once the Office of Cannabis Management issues its rules and begins licensing, the city could consider repealing portions of its existing THC-related local code that overlap with state authority.

Votes at a glance

• First reading — Ordinance amending City Code Chapter 5 by adopting new Section 5.81 relating to cannabis retail businesses: motion to approve first reading moved by Council Member Lisa Toomey; outcome: passed 5-0.

Next steps noted by staff include monitoring rulemaking by the Office of Cannabis Management and returning to the council for subsequent ordinance readings and any necessary refinements.