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Commission reviews removing single-vendor restriction for cannabis retail in Ocean Shores
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Summary
The Planning Commission discussed striking the code line that restricted the city to a single cannabis retail vendor, reviewed comparative data showing many municipalities allow multiple vendors, and flagged 1,000-foot sensitive-use buffers as a potential practical barrier to siting.
At its April 28 meeting, the Ocean Shores Planning Commission reviewed a proposal to remove a line in the municipal code that limited the city to a single licensed cannabis retail vendor. Commissioners presented documentation comparing similarly sized Washington municipalities and noted the city could face practical siting limits if the 1,000-foot sensitive-use buffers (schools, parks) eliminate most candidate sites.
The presenting commissioner (S1) cited an informal statewide count of roughly "497 vendors" as background for the discussion and said the documentation had been forwarded to the commission. Planning staff (S4) said state licensing requirements apply and that the commission's role is to determine local code language and siting criteria before applicants approach the state.
Staff and commissioners agreed to forward the collected documentation to the mayor and city council for further consideration. No formal ordinance change or vote occurred at the meeting; commissioners noted mapping the 1,000-foot buffers would be necessary to identify realistic locations for any additional vendors.
