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Commissioners push for joint workshop with council to clarify Main Street storefront rules
Summary
After finding no clear ordinance requiring active storefronts, commissioners asked staff to set a joint workshop with city council to clarify Section 802, conditional use permits and enforcement so Main Street storefront expectations are transparent and enforceable.
Commissioners spent an extended portion of the meeting debating whether the city ever adopted a firm requirement that downtown storefronts remain active commercial uses. Commissioner Ruby Fowler said she searched for an ordinance and could not find one, adding, “No ordinance, no authority, no references.”
Multiple commissioners, staff and members of the public said the confusion has led to inconsistent outcomes when conditional use permits and development agreements were implemented. Commissioners proposed a joint meeting with city council, the city attorney and staff to map responsibilities, tighten Section 802 language and clarify when storefronts must be open to the public.
Commissioners and commenters discussed cannabis businesses in particular: some said applications had been accepted even when storefronts remained closed, and several commissioners suggested the city consider whether storefronts should be explicitly excluded from state cannabis-licensed premises or require additional conditions for storefront openings. Commissioner Joe Kessner urged faster action, calling the matter urgent and recommending a near-term workshop.
The commission did not adopt an ordinance at the meeting but directed staff to coordinate a workshop and to gather the development agreements, conditional use permits and related records for review.
