Wheat Ridge planning commission backs ordinance to limit where natural medicine healing centers may operate

The Wheat Ridge City Planning Commission on Dec. 18 recommended approval of an ordinance (case ZOA‑24‑08) that would amend Chapter 26 of the Wheat Ridge Code of Laws to regulate where state‑licensed natural medicine "healing centers" may locate in the city.

City Attorney Jerry Dawn told the commission the state enacted legislation after a citizen initiative and created a state regulatory body that will license natural medicine businesses beginning Jan. 1. Dawn said the state law makes clear that a state license will not be effective unless any required local license is also issued.

The ordinance before the commission takes a middle‑ground approach: it does not create a new local licensing authority but instead defines in which zoning districts healing centers would be permitted. Dawn said the proposed local regulation focuses on "time, place and manner," and in practice places the use as a permitted use in commercial and industrial zones (NCRC, C‑1, C‑2, IE) and in mixed‑use districts, while embedding a 1,000‑foot separation from schools and day cares consistent with state statute. "The state statute is clear in saying that, no license issued by the state is effective or good, unless until a local license, if required, has also been issued," Dawn said.

Commissioners asked whether hours of operation or maximum numbers of licenses could be set locally. Commissioner Schulke asked, "The regulating the hours — does that come later on?" Dawn replied the ordinance does not set hours, and that some jurisdictions have adopted hour restrictions as part of a local licensing regime; he said the city could add such restrictions later and believes the state licensing process and providers' own safeguards (for example, requirements that a patient have a ride home) are expected to address safety around timing.

Commissioner Quinn asked whether the city could limit the number of licenses issued; Dawn said the ordinance does not set a numeric cap but that strict place‑based rules can effectively constrain the number of operations and that other municipalities have used location constraints to limit the practical number of facilities.

Commissioner Moore asked whether new day care applications would be reflected on the city's map; staff said that licensed day care locations would be accounted for when they are licensed and posted, and that timing could create a first‑in‑time effect for specific locations. Commissioner Grama asked whether an existing healing center would prevent a later day care from locating nearby; Dawn said it would not prevent a later day care, and the existing healing center would be a legal nonconforming use if the day care then fell within the 1,000‑foot exclusion.

No members of the public signed up to speak during the hearing. After questions, a motion to recommend approval passed by a 6‑0 vote.

The ordinance would not ban healing centers; rather it would regulate where they may locate and require the 1,000‑foot separation from schools and day cares. Implementation details such as hours of operation and potential numeric limits on licenses were discussed as matters that could be added later through licensing or additional local rules, Dawn said.