Residents urge stricter cannabis zoning rules, cite odor, lighting, and setback concerns

Public comment at the Pine County board's May 20 meeting focused on a draft cannabis zoning ordinance that several residents said leaves neighborhoods exposed to nuisance impacts.

John De Grey of Royalton Township told commissioners he did not understand why the draft creates different rules for operations above or below a 20,000-square-foot threshold and said growers should not be allowed to let odor “dissipate outside the property line.” He warned that greenhouse-style operations could be sited to avoid stricter indoor rules and called for screening and lighting controls.

Pastor Joe Reed of Royalton told the board he was speaking from a moral perspective and urged commissioners to consider broader social implications as they evaluate the ordinance. Denise Weiss and Patrice DeGrae said the original zoning draft — which followed Minnesota Association of Counties guidance — better protected residents and that later edits produced a “stripped down” version that reduced setbacks and mitigation requirements.

Doug Stanger and Billy Head, who identified themselves as local residents (Stanger said a potential grower was involved on the committee), flagged potential conflicts of interest and said the revised setbacks were insufficient for long, rural properties. John McKenzie and other speakers focused on the persistent odor and the fact that greenhouse operations run year-round, which they said means smells could be continuously vented into the surrounding area.

The board did not take immediate action on the ordinance during the meeting; multiple commenters asked the zoning board to re-open the draft for full zoning-board review and to re-examine bonding and screening requirements.