Council continues hearing on cannabis storefront at 1601 Sir Francis Drake, asks staff to verify nearby tutoring center status

The Fairfax Town Council opened a public hearing Aug. 6 on an application for a cannabis business permit for 1601 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard (the former Morrow’s Pizzeria location). The applicant, Marin Retail Ventures LLC (doing business as LaFleur), seeks a medical storefront and adult‑use delivery operation.

Planning staff described the background: in October 2019 the council adopted ordinances allowing medical cannabis storefronts and delivery‑only adult‑use retailers in the town’s commercial zones subject to distance and other limits. The proposed site was described in staff materials as approximately 498 feet from Caterpillar Academy (a daycare) and roughly 53 feet from a tutoring center (TLC Tutoring and Learning Center). Staff reported the Planning Commission had scored the applicant 92.6 points during its July evaluation, above the council’s 80‑point threshold, and recommended the application advance to council review for a final decision.

During the public hearing dozens of speakers addressed the council. Several longtime residents, local business owners and community advocates testified in support of the applicant’s preparedness and the potential tax and safety benefits of a well‑regulated cannabis business. Other residents and downtown business advocates — and the owner of the tutoring center herself, who said TLC has provided in‑person instruction and meets the town’s tutoring‑center definition — urged the council not to approve a storefront so close to a tutoring center and a preschool. Speakers also raised concerns about youth access, high‑THC products, security, and the presence of multiple dispensaries on the same block.

Planning staff said they had attempted to contact the tutoring center using registered mail, in‑person door hangers and phone calls and had not received the documentation staff requires to treat the center as an active tutoring center for zoning‑distance purposes; the tutoring‑center operator submitted a letter during public comment asserting the business is active, serves at least 10 clients 37 weeks a year, and considers student records confidential.

After hearing public testimony and asking questions about age restrictions, ID scanning, product types and security, the council voted to continue the hearing to Sept. 3. Councilor Barbara Kohler moved to continue to Sept. 3 and also asked staff to prepare a resolution ready for adoption if the council later determines the tutoring center is not operating in a way that triggers the distance protection. The motion passed. Staff said it will follow up with the tutoring‑center owner and return with clearer evidence of operation and a final resolution if the council decides to proceed.