San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
LEMON GROVE OKS ANOTHER POT SHOP
Lemon Grove has given initial approval to another marijuana dispensary, a victory for a one-time mayoral hopeful who has tried for years to get a cannabis business off the ground.
Christopher Williams’ proposal to sell recreational and medical marijuana at 8280 Broadway won unanimous support Tuesday from the City Council.
“We would like to add character and some life to an area that has been pretty dead,” Williams told the council during a meeting.
Cannabis has expanded haltingly in East County in recent years.
La Mesa has more than a dozen businesses, including storefronts and manufacturers, according to city records. Santee doesn’t allow any, though officials are discussing the possibility, and El Cajon has a similar ban. (One dispensary with an El Cajon address is technically just outside city limits.)
Lemon Grove residents voted for medical cannabis in 2016; the council approved recreational use last year.
The city already has The Boulevard and Wellgreens, which are about a half-mile from each other on Federal Boulevard. Three others are in the process of opening, and city officials said the city likely has space for six.
Local rules restrict businesses from being within 1,000 feet of schools, day cares, parks and other dispensaries.
Williams’ planned shop, Earth and Ivy, will sit between Lee’s Automotive, a repair shop, and the Little Darlings strip club. Less than a mile up the sidewalk is Broadway’s dense cluster of restaurants and shops.
Williams received a conditional use permit Tuesday, which means he and his company, Pick Axe Holdings, LLC, have a year to secure a building permit. It was not immediately clear when the business might open.
He and his partners plan to renovate an existing structure originally built as a house in the 1960s. The approximately 1,500-squarefoot building is currently a Quality Towing.
The dispensary will not grow or deliver cannabis, said Bill Chopyk, the city’s interim Community Development Manager.
An existing parking lot would allow two dozen cars, according to the proposal. Bike racks can be added and crepe myrtles would replace some palm trees, among other planned landscaping.
Project leaders pledged to follow environmentally friendly standards set by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design system, known as LEED. Ryan Mcguffie, president of Mcguffie Contracting Inc., said they would only use recycled water and eventually generate enough energy to be independent of the grid.
The plan calls for a wooden fence to replace existing chain link. While there would be openings in the wood, city staff and the head of the local sheriff’s station asked that the fence be completely transparent to deter robbers. Williams said he was open to changes.
Seven people spoke in favor of the plan and praised Williams’ character.
Five spoke against, saying the proposal needed more detail, especially regarding how the new business could affect nearby roads.
Gina Austin, an attorney with the San Diego-based Austin Legal Group, said it was impossible “to determine whether there’s significant traffic impacts or not.”
Austin previously challenged Williams’ proposal as a representative of another group that wanted to open a dispensary at the same site, but her request was rejected at a meeting earlier this month.
Council members dismissed her concerns Tuesday and said Broadway was well-suited to handle more traffic.
The meeting between Williams and the council was less contentious than in months past. Williams has been a frequent critic of city leadership and sued Lemon Grove after he said a former councilman assaulted him. That case is ongoing.
Lemon Grove leaders have said they hope new dispensaries will increase tax revenue. The city has struggled with deficits, though the current budget has a surplus.
During the same meeting, the council also rejected a proposal to build a car wash at 7431 Broadway. Proponents said the space was unused and argued the city should welcome a new tenant, while opponents raised questions about how noise would affect neighbors and whether the city needed another place to wash cars.
The plan was voted down, 3-2.
blake.nelson@sduniontribune.com