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Local business urges council to allow cannabis retail in industrial park; council cites odor complaints and enforcement history
Summary
A business owner asked the council to reconsider a ban on cannabis retail in Estacada’s industrial park. Councilors and staff cited prior odor complaints and enforcement actions and directed staff to follow up; no change was made.
A business owner who operates a cannabis processing facility at 3045 Northwest Campus Drive asked the Estacada City Council to overturn a local ban on cannabis retail in the industrial park and allow a retail adjunct at his building.
Aaron Lam told council his building previously housed a cannabis wholesale operation and that a retail use would be a low-traffic way to capture local economic activity. “A straightforward transition to retail aligns with the goals and policies outlined in the City of Estacada comprehensive plan,” he said in his presentation.
Councilors and staff pushed back on the request, citing multiple formal odor complaints and prior enforcement visits in the industrial park. Peter (staff) told the council the city has worked with the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) on enforcement and that complaints had led to regulatory responses; he also said the city adopted its current industrial-park rules deliberately to limit trips and retail activity there.
Why it matters: Councilors said the industrial-park regulations were adopted to protect industrial uses from high trip counts and to avoid retail spilling into a park-like gateway to the city. Several councilors expressed support for a staff follow-up and recommended further discussion during the council’s upcoming goal-setting session rather than an immediate code change.
What happened next - Staff follow up: Melanie said staff would meet with Aaron Lam to discuss his concerns and could place the larger zoning/code question on the council’s goal-setting agenda. - No code change or exception was granted during the meeting.
Other details: Lam said the processing operation stores limited on-site retail inventory compared with prior wholesale stockpiles and offered to accept additional HVAC or odor-control conditions if council approved a retail adjunct. Council members said they would prefer a measured study of industrial-park impacts and a broader council discussion before lifting or amending the current restriction.
Ending: Staff committed to a one-on-one meeting with the applicant and to report back; the council did not schedule an immediate vote on zoning for cannabis retail.
