City reverses decision, bans storefront pot shops

Mountain View had voted to allow them only eight months earlier

In an unexpected move, the Mountain View City Council has banned storefront cannabis dispensaries within city limits — reversing an earlier decision to allow them.

In front of a standing-room-only crowd of nearly 100 residents, the council voted unanimously Thursday night to amend its cannabis business ordinance — prohibiting storefront cannabis shops but allowing up to three warehouse and delivery businesses. The delivery businesses will not be allowed within 600 feet of schools and daycares.

Thursday night’s vote culminates more than 18 months of back and forth with council and planning commission meetings, study sessions and a resident survey on whether marijuana businesses should be allowed within the city.

The council acted after listening to dozens of residents speak, most of whom opposed allowing cannabis businesses outright.

“For the past couple of years, I’ve been very consistent in my view that we needed to listen to the residents, and the residents did not want storefront businesses in our city,” Mayor Lisa Matichak said in an interview Friday morning.

Matichak commended her fellow council members for working together to come up with a plan that everyone could support.

“It was great to have so much collaboration, and I feel like we came up with a really good solution or compromise that we could all support,” she said.

Those opposed to the stores — many armed with signs that read “Protect kids, not pot shops” and “No pot shops. Period.” — voiced a plethora of concerns, including a negative influence on children, crime and air quality.

Lily Wang, who has lived in Mountain View for more than 20 years, said she wanted Mountain View to follow the decisions of surrounding cities that have almost entirely banned marijuana businesses.

“This is a high tech place and we have a good reputation. We don’t want to damage our