The Wayland City Planning Commission Tuesday night recommended the City Council approve four special use permit requests, three of them from prospective retail marijuana businesses.

After considerable discussion in the public hearings, site plans were given the green light for such businesses at 124 S. Main St., former home of Simply Celia’s; 122 W. Superior St., the location for a local computer repair business that has moved, and at 1124 W. Superior, which Shear Concepts moved into about a year ago, but since has scaled back to the original site in the same building.

One marijuana retail business already has been approved by the City Council earlier this month at the store next door to Sweet Leaf Glass behind Burger King.

The City Council is expected to take up the Planning Commission’s recommendations at its meeting Dec. 19.

Also approved was site plan review and a special use permit for the University of Michigan Health Center between United Bank and Burger King along West Superior.

There was some pushback during the public hearing, but it was too late. The Planning Commission and City Council have been grappling with the issue of permitting retail marijuana shops for the past two years, especially since statewide passage of ballot proposal in the 2018 election. An ordinance permittng the cultivation, sale and distribution of marijuana was adopted last July.

Arny Rodriguez, owner of Aqua In Vino on South Main, said he objects to placement of marijuana businesses downtown.

“There’s been little activity to generate business downtown, but I don’t see the advantage of bringing such a facility into the downtown,” he said. “Wayland could become the marijuana capital of the world.”

Rick Welch of Dorr spoke on behalf of the Calvary Church, which is further south on South Main from the business proposed at the former Celia’s, expressing opposition.

Dorr Township Trustee John Tuinstra said the Dorr Township Board adopted an ordinance forbidding marijuana retail businesses.

“We’re doing just fine without them,” he said, adding he expects the more the substance is available, the more fatal traffic crashes will result.

Former Mayor Mike DeWeerd said he has served as a paramedic and saw people messed up on marijuana and referred to it as a gateway drug.

Another citizen expressed concerns about more crime in the downtown area.

Commission Chairman J.D. Gonzales explained that voters in Michigan approved a state-wide ballot proposal for medicinal marijuana in 2008 and another for recreational marijuana in 2018, so the issue before the Planning Commission was not whether the substance is good or bad. He said retail pot businesses must comply with the rules of the local ordinance and this was the mission of the Planning Commission this evening.

“Issues of crime and health are outside the scope of this body,” he said. “We have to have specific reasons to deny (special use permit requests). If they meet the criteria (of the city ordinance), were are obligated to say yes.”

Wayland Schools Supt. Tim Reeves asked about the former Celia’s location being too close to Pine Street Elementary, but Gonzales pointed out that Bentley’s Party Store and the former Jada Gayle distillery were even closer and there were few if any protests.

James Haas, owner of Simple AG, which wants to move in next to Shear Concepts, promised the addition of 10 jobs and security cameras 24/7.

The Planning Commission deliberated on “findings of fact” and the results were unanimous approval for all special uses.

Unanimous approval also was granted to University of Michigan Health West to build a medial office facility at 1113 and 1131 W. Superior. The only caution was from Commissioner Anne Tatreau, who noted the traffic bottlenecks every afternoon when the high school lets students out.