New Buffalo Township holds off on marijuana establishment moratorium

NEW BUFFALO TOWNSHIP, Mich. - Neighbors in New Buffalo Township are fighting against a moratorium on marijuana dispensaries following dozens of applications for new pot businesses.

Citizens called for quick action after the planning commission of New Buffalo Township recommended putting a pause on approving new applications for marijuana establishments. Thursday, the board agreed to continue accepting applications until Monday. 

The commission says it’s already received at least 45 applications.

While some at Thursday’s public forum were concerned with the town being overrun with marijuana establishments, an overwhelming majority of citizens expressed that these special use establishments would help the economy, and the investment could be put back in the community, supporting opportunities for urban renewal.

Ed Dehne, a New Buffalo Township resident for the past sixty years, stated, “It’s going to be great because most of those cannabis dispensaries are going to be gone [eventually]. It will be one or two still hanging out probably, but there will be beautiful buildings where they left. That’s going to be on a tax base for the township. And there’s going to be people who are going to be able to rent these buildings or buy that property. And I think it’s just an opportunity that couldn’t be passed up.”

Due to this concern from the public about a moratorium the New Buffalo Township Board ultimately decided to continue to allow applications for special use establishments until Monday, March 18. 

Michelle Heit, the New Buffalo Township Supervisor expressed, “The impact that this moratorium going through so quickly would have on [citizens] caused us to change some of the language in the draft ordinance that we had, so we will extend accepting even partial applications until Monday, the 18th at 4 p.m. and partial applications will now have until June 1 to submit the items they have missing in their application.”

Under the township’s current marijuana ordinance, establishments must be built in a designated district, be at least a thousand feet from schools, churches, daycares, and libraries, and be at least 150 feet from residences. 

You can view the Marijuana Establishment Application Packet here.