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Residents press Washington council over new dispensary near Caroline Drive; staff says zoning allows it
Summary
Neighbors told the Washington City Council they oppose a cannabis dispensary planned on Caroline Drive, citing traffic and proximity to children. City staff said the site is zoned commercial and that state law measures the 1,000-foot school buffer by walking distance, which staff said the new location meets.
Members of the Washington, Missouri City Council heard a string of public comments on Feb. 17 from neighbors who said they object to a proposed cannabis dispensary on Caroline Drive.
"As a neighborhood, this is not something we want," said Dan Fisher, who gave his address and said several neighbors were present to raise concerns about traffic and children playing nearby. Carrie Clinky, a resident two doors from the former clinic on the site, told the council she was "disappointed in the city" and asked, "Is this what Washington is becoming?" She described worries about increased traffic near a bus stop and calls for first responders.
City staff responded that the property is in a long-standing commercial zoning district and that the city has treated dispensaries as permitted retail uses in commercial areas. Aaron (city staff) told council members the property owner sought platting and a building permit after purchasing the site and that, under current codes, "if it's zoned commercial, they're allowed to go ahead and do it just like if a drugstore wanted to go in or a liquor store wanted to go in." He added the city previously consulted its attorney and classified dispensaries as a retail use.
Staff also addressed the state-mandated 1,000-foot separation from schools and day cares. "When you draw a line from the dispensary to Sage B that is under 1,000 feet," Aaron said, but he explained Missouri measures the required distance by the walking route. He reported that his measurement for the walking distance put the site beyond 1,000 feet, saying that by the state's walking-distance metric the location meets the requirement.
Council members told residents the city cannot retroactively apply a new code to a project that has an active building permit, but they also said the council can ask the Planning and Zoning Commission to research buffer zones or other code changes for future applications. One council member summarized the legal limit: "Our hands are tied" when a use complies with current zoning and permits.
The council did not take formal action on the Caroline Drive site that evening. Staff said the Planning and Zoning Commission could consider potential code changes if the council directs it to do so.
The issue drew sustained public comment and council discussion; officials encouraged residents to bring concerns to Planning and Zoning or ask the council to initiate code changes that would apply prospectively.
