Mount Clemens commission rejects motion to allow outdoor marijuana grows after extended debate

The Mount Clemens City Commission declined to permit outdoor marijuana cultivation on Monday during an extended debate that focused on odor, security and the limits of local zoning.

Commissioners and members of the public discussed whether the city’s proposed marijuana business ordinance should allow outdoor grow facilities. Opponents stressed odor and light pollution risks for nearby residents; supporters and industry representatives urged the commission to allow outdoor grows on limited, well-regulated sites.

“I'm hoping that the commission would consider a no vote on the outdoor, whether it's medical or adult use,” said a resident who identified himself as Patrick, urging the commission to block outdoor growing because of light pollution and environmental impacts. Randy Buckman, an industry representative from Harrison Township, responded that outdoor cultivation can be managed: “In regards to the odor, mitigation…there's a tremendous amount of infrastructure that can be done to mitigate it,” he said, and argued outdoor growing can create jobs.

Jerome Crawford, who introduced himself as the company’s director of legal operations and social equity, said the operation his organization proposed would create roughly 125 jobs in an indoor facility and up to 250 jobs if outdoor cultivation were allowed: “Our estimation is that we'd have about 125 jobs… and then with an outdoor grow, we estimate we'll be able to get as high as 250 jobs,” he said.

City staff and commissioners raised several implementation questions, including whether the only plausible outdoor site would be the 'Gibraltar' parcel and whether conditional permits held by applicants had satisfied outstanding requirements. City Attorney comments and administrative staff noted the draft ordinance's current posture: the proposed draft retains the existing medical ordinance’s ban on outdoor grows, and the motion before the body was written to choose either to prohibit or allow outdoor cultivation in the eventual ordinance.

Commissioner Hammond moved a motion stating that “in the event the city adopts a marijuana business ordinance, it should allow outdoor grow facilities.” The motion was supported by Commissioner Goodenough. The roll call produced three votes in favor and four opposed; the motion failed.

The discussion highlighted competing local priorities: residents’ complaints about seasonal odor and light impacts; commissioners’ concern about security and zoning limits; and industry claims about mitigation technology and potential job creation. City staff emphasized that any permit or operating approval would be conditioned on compliance with requirements and that the Gibraltar site currently holds a conditional permit subject to further steps before a fully operational permit would be issued.

Next steps: the commission said it would continue work on the comprehensive marijuana business ordinance, considering the four areas identified by the city attorney’s cover letter (decision-making body for permits, authorized establishment counts and co-location preferences, bans on certain business types, and outdoor growing). No change to the city's existing medical marijuana indoor-only requirement was adopted at this meeting.