Pawtucket council gives first passage to ordinance regulating retail cannabis with 500-foot school buffer

The Pawtucket City Council voted first passage on Jan. 7 to amend Chapter 4.10 of the city code to establish where retail-only cannabis shops may operate and under what conditions. The ordinance, as amended, requires a proposed retail site to be at least 500 feet from a preexisting public or private school providing K–12 education and applies distance and buffer standards intended to limit siting near homes and sensitive uses.

The amendment grew out of a lengthy ordinance-committee review and a public hearing in which the zoning director explained the state’s licensing process: Rhode Island is awarding up to four retail licenses per zone in this round, and applicants must submit a site and a zoning compliance letter as part of their Cannabis Control Commission application. Councilors and staff said the city adopted the change to give the municipality a land-use process to evaluate retail storefronts via special-use permits rather than leaving siting decisions entirely to the state.

Advocates and residents addressed the council in person and online. Dr. Andre Dev, who identified himself as helping worker-owner and social-equity applicants, told the council that one license in the zone is set aside for a worker cooperative and another for social-equity applicants and urged Pawtucket to adopt rules that preserve access for local ownership rather than letting out-of-state investors secure properties because the city had not updated its zoning. "We don't want a bunch of out-of-state actors flooding Pawtucket," Dev said.

Council debate focused on buffer distances, neighborhood impacts and signage. A number of councilors voiced concern about the appearance and concentration of retail cannabis in residential districts, citing complaints about an existing converted store and its highway-facing signage. Council members debated increasing a proposed 400-foot residential buffer; after discussion the council adopted amendments that align the residential proximity standard with the 500-foot school buffer. The director and planning staff cautioned that changing distances will reduce the number of parcels eligible under the ordinance but said the map and parcel review can be updated as needed.

Councilors also discussed timing: statewide applications closed Dec. 29 and the Cannabis Control Commission is reviewing applicants; the council was told municipal zoning approvals will be needed by March 1 for applicants to remain eligible. Staff recommended adopting a municipal ordinance now to provide a predictable review framework and then adjusting it later if state rules or experience require changes.

The council recorded the ordinance’s first passage as amended. The ordinance will return for a required second passage and final vote before becoming law. In committee earlier the measure was sent forward as amended; one committee member recorded a dissent during that committee roll call vote but the full council moved the ordinance on first passage as amended. The council also signaled that special-use applications will include signage plans for planning-commission review and that off-site billboards on state property remain outside municipal control.

The director said the ordinance applies to retail-only operations (no on-site cultivation or consumption) and that state licenses are annual and subject to state fees and requirements. The council’s next procedural step is second passage on a future meeting date; staff said both the council and the zoning board can amend the ordinance later if needed.

The public hearing and ordinance discussion are expected to continue to influence how the city evaluates individual license applicants as the CCC completes its selection process.