Planning panel recommends denial of Greenhouse retail cannabis at 3107 N. Main

The Roswell Planning and Zoning Commission on July 1 recommended denial of a proposal to rezone 3107 North Main Street to a commercial cannabis (C-CAN) floating zone and to grant a variance and conditional-use permit for an adult-use retail cannabis store. The recommendation to deny will be forwarded to the City Council for final consideration.

Meredith Hildreth, planning staff for the City of Roswell, told the commission the application (zoning case CAN25-0063) requests a variance to the municipal-code distance limits because the property sits within 300 feet of the Linda Vista Estates residential subdivision and seeks a zone change to C-CAN and a conditional-use permit for retail sales only. "This is a request for approval of a variance to a residential distance requirements, zone change to C-CAN, and conditional use permit to operate an adult use retail cannabis establishment at 3107 North Main Street, Unit B," Hildreth said.

The application materials submitted with the case included a state cannabis retail license listed as an exhibit and a business plan from the applicant. Jeremy Bonin, who identified himself as one of the owners of Anna McCann Inc., doing business as The Greenhouse, described the company’s local experience and said they had been seeking a Roswell location for about two years. "We've been looking for a location in Roswell for a couple years now," Bonin said. Dwayne Baird, who identified himself as a Greenhouse employee, spoke in favor and said the company prioritizes compliance and neighborhood coordination.

Under Roswell Municipal Code chapter 27, cannabis-related businesses must not be located within 300 feet of residential zoning, and establishments must maintain 1,320-foot minimum separation from other cannabis retailers. Hildreth presented staff measurements showing the site meets the 1,320-foot separation from other active retailers (approximately 4,200 feet from Greenleaf at 4311 N. Main, about 2,290 feet from Nomad at 3606 N. Main, and about 2,360 feet from UltraHealth at 2800 N. Main). She also noted that Brian’s Green Care at 3108 N. Main is closed.

Public comment at the hearing included two speakers in favor and no speakers in opposition. The Planning and Zoning Commission considered two competing motions: Commissioner Henderson moved to recommend approval (the motion received no second and thus did not proceed), and a subsequent motion to recommend denial (moved by "Commissioner Holden" in the hearing transcript and seconded by Commissioner Gutierrez) carried. The roll-call vote on the denial recommendation was recorded as 4–1 in favor of recommending denial to City Council (Commissioner Henderson voted no; Commissioners Gilmore, Gutierrez, Holman, and Chair Aguilar voted yes). Hildreth reminded the applicant that the commission's recommendation is advisory and that any appeal process would follow after a City Council decision.

The packet shows one written protest was submitted to planning staff; Hildreth said the hearing notice met the city and state posting and notification requirements. The applicant's business plan lists proposed hours of operation of 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., but Hildreth said retail operations must adhere to the draft conditions on the conditional-use permit (appendix F) unless or until City Council revises those standards.

The commission's action was limited to making a recommendation to the City Council; no final city approval or licensing was granted by the commission at this meeting. City Council will consider the rezoning, variance, and conditional-use permit at a later date and may accept or reject the commission's recommendation.

Members of the public or the applicant may address the City Council record and, if a final decision is issued by council, follow the applicable appeal process described by staff at that time.