The Wayland City Planning Commission Tuesday night gave the green light to development of a 16-unit apartment complex, named its vice chair and held a discussion about marijuana businesses.
The commission recommended approval of a site plan for Railside Apartments at 516 Mill St., a 1.34-acre location. Developer Mark Scholten of Schway Properties LLC will still need to provide a sidewalk and get approval for storm sewer.
The property already is zoned R-M, multi-family residential, so there wasn’t a lot of haggling over the plans, presented by Ron VanSingel of Merestone.
The plans include 32 tenat parking spaces, 13 visitor parking spaces and unique small storage buildings.
Scholten agreed to the stipulation for sidewalks, which the city’s master plan favors in the interests of connectivity.
In other business, Anne Tatreux was selected as vice chair, succeeding Sam Dykstra, who decided earlier this year not to seek reappointment. She was nominated by Chairman JD Gonzales.
The commission had a preliminary discussion about allowing the growing, processing, sale and transportation of recreational marijuana within the city limits.
City Manager Josh Eggleston said he plans to draft a proposed ordinance in the wake of the state-wide ballot proposal in November 2018, which was approved by 56 percent of Michigan voters. The proposal was approved by 58% of voters in the City of Wayland.
Though the ordinance is likely to continue to insist pot facilities get no closer than 1,000 feet of schools, commissioners said otherwise they prefer to regulate marijuana like any other business, much like alcohol establishments.
It isn’t likely retail sales business will be located downtown, but Zoning Administrator Lori Castello cautioned, “If you put these businesses in back alleys, that’s what you’ll get — back alley businesses.”
Eggleston said those who oppose marijuana for moral reasons need to understand, “You’re not keeping marijuana out of the City of Wayland. It’s already here.”
Castello has been dealing with a marijuana ordinance for the City of Allegan and Eggleston noted when the first such business opened in Lowell, there were four police calls in its first year, three of them for traffic accidents.
The city manager said he hopes to have an ordinance ready for consideration by early next month.
