Lynnwood staff present draft retail cannabis rules, planning commission backs larger buffers

City planning staff on Sept. 2 presented a draft ordinance that would allow retail cannabis stores in Lynnwood’s City Center, Alderwood, Planned Commercial Development, General Commercial and Highway 99 Mixed Use zones, and outlined buffer, signage and licensing limits the council will consider.

The ordinance text before the council follows state definitions and Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board requirements and, as drafted, includes a 300-foot minimum buffer from some restricted entities that the Planning Commission recommended, and a 1,000-foot buffer specifically from planned playgrounds that are identified in an adopted capital facilities plan or secured by a council-approved site-specific development agreement.

Planning staff said the Planning Commission landed on a 300-foot minimum after hearing community concerns — especially about the Alderwood Boys & Girls Club — and after members concluded a 100-foot buffer in some places (effectively “across the street” on Highway 99) did not feel protective enough. Staff stressed the draft applies only to retail cannabis (not production or processing) and that distance is measured property-line to property-line under the proposed methodology.

Why it matters: the buffer and planned-park language would affect where retailers can locate near properties the city has legally committed to develop. Council members repeatedly raised the tension between protecting youth-serving facilities and not constraining lawful businesses for years while parks remain undeveloped.

Key details from the discussion

- Zones and uses: Staff said the ordinance would add retail cannabis to Lynnwood’s unified development code as a permitted retail/general-services use in the zones listed above and carry forward citywide design guidelines and business-license requirements.

- Buffers: The Planning Commission recommended increasing the baseline buffer from 100 feet to 300 feet for restricted entities such as recreation facilities; staff explained state law already requires a 300‑foot standard in some comparisons and that parks and playgrounds are treated differently under state law. For playgrounds that are planned and committed by the city in an adopted capital facilities plan or a council‑approved development agreement (staff used Northline Village and Town Square Park as examples), the draft sets a 1,000‑foot separation.

- Licenses and LCB certificates: Lynnwood has been allocated four retail licenses by the state; staff explained those four are “certificate holders” who applied previously to the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) and would have six months to complete the local and state licensing process if the city lifts its local restrictions. Council members asked how future state actions to increase the number of licenses would be handled; staff said the LCB determines license counts and that the city would then need to decide how to administer any new local approvals.

- Alternatives discussed: Council members suggested a range of approaches instead of a citywide 1,000‑foot future‑playground buffer, including (a) limiting the city to its current four licenses, (b) writing separation requirements between retailers to prevent clustering, (c) exploring interim zoning or memoranda of understanding for sites with known future uses, and (d) building a two‑year public‑safety review into council follow‑up. Some members argued limiting license numbers creates administrative fairness questions (who gets a cap slot), while others said a site‑based geographic separation is easier to administer.

- Signage and A‑frame boards: Staff clarified the draft follows state requirements on off‑premise signage; typical on‑premise A‑frame/directional signs are allowed within distance limits already in city code but off‑premise signs placed in the right‑of‑way would be prohibited.

- Nearby uses and measurement examples: Staff said the methadone/treatment clinic near the Alderwood Boys & Girls Club is roughly 150 feet north by the city’s edge‑to‑edge measurement method, and council members noted privately owned playgrounds or church playgrounds would not trigger the same public‑ownership buffer protections unless they are demonstrated to be public in operation or covered by an agreement.

Council action and next steps

No ordinance was adopted at the Sept. 2 work session. Staff said a public hearing is scheduled for the council’s meeting next week to receive public testimony, with formal consideration of the ordinance targeted for Sept. 22, 2025. Staff also said they will provide answers to the council’s list of technical questions and include map layers showing the effects of 100‑, 300‑ and 1,000‑foot buffers.

Staff and planning commissioners cited community input — especially concerns tied to the Alderwood Boys & Girls Club and planned parks at Northline Village and Town Square Park — as the principal reasons for the Planning Commission’s 300‑foot recommendation. Council members varied in preference: some favored treating cannabis like any other retail use, while others sought explicit protections for specific future park commitments.

The city’s planning team, the council and the LCB remain the primary actors in next steps; staff said they will return with refined ordinance language and maps in the upcoming packet and will be available at the public hearing to take testimony.