Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Cannabis topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lemon Grove council denies appeal, upholds denial of dispensary permit at 8280 Broadway
Summary
The City of Lemon Grove denied an appeal of a Community Development Manager’s decision to deny a Minor Use Permit for a proposed cannabis dispensary at 8280 Broadway, finding the site fails the city’s 1,000-foot separation requirement; the council voted unanimously to adopt staff’s recommendation.
The Lemon Grove City Council on April 7 denied an appeal of the Community Development Manager’s denial of a Minor Use Permit (MUP2500001) for a proposed cannabis dispensary at 8280 Broadway, adopting staff’s resolution 5–0.
City Development Manager Michael Fellowes told the council the MUP, submitted March 23, 2025, was denied because the subject property shares a property line with an operating dispensary at 8290 Broadway and therefore cannot meet the 1,000‑foot separation required by Lemon Grove Municipal Code 17.32.0.08(a). “Because the properties abut, we cannot make the separation findings required by code,” Fellowes said in the staff presentation and recommended denial of the appeal.
Applicant and appellant Chris Williams urged the council to continue the hearing and alleged misconduct, saying he had submitted public‑records requests and claimed evidence of improper permitting processes and a “pay‑to‑play” scheme. Williams asked multiple council members and staff to recuse themselves and said he had receipts and other documents he would provide to investigators. City Attorney Kristen Steinke and staff told the council they had not been provided evidence requiring recusal and reiterated that the current appeal is limited to whether the MUP was properly denied under the city’s separation rule.
Council members concentrated their deliberations on the single legal question before them: whether staff properly applied the separation requirement to the 2025 MUP. Councilmember Smith said the decision must be made based on the new MUP now before the council and the separation standard voters approved in Measure B. Councilmember Mendoza moved to adopt the staff resolution denying the appeal; Mayor Snow seconded. The motion carried on a unanimous roll call vote.
Outcome and next steps: the council’s action upholds the Community Development Manager’s denial of the MUP for 8280 Broadway. Williams and other speakers raised allegations about past permitting and records; council members and staff said those matters, including any criminal or civil investigations, are separate from the narrow separation‑finding decision before the council. The public hearing was closed and the council moved to its next agenda item.
Authorities referenced: Lemon Grove Municipal Code 17.32.0.08(a) (separation findings for regulated uses).
