Approved by voters in November 2012, Initiative 502 allows the legal production and sale of marijuana for medical and recreational use.
The Washington State Liquor Control Board has developed rules to regulate the production and sales of marijuana ruling that ‘pot shops’ cannot be located within 1000 ft. in any direction from a school, park, childcare center, arcade, public transit facility, or playground. The city’s proposed locations for marijuana retail outlets that fall within the rules are identified in yellow in the attached map. As you can see on the map, the area around 23rd and Union is outside of the restrictions and could therefore be zoned for one, two, three or more pot shops. To my knowledge “Saturation” limits have not been addressed by the rule-makers. In other words, there possibly could be 10 shops in a four block radius.
Several citizens working and living in the area have expressed significant concern about and opposition to the city’s estimated location of pot shops in the 23rd and Union area.
EastPAC Board member Randy Beaulieu is coordinator for the Central Seattle Drug Free Communities Coalition, works in whose mission it is “To unite the community in an effort to create a safe community free of alcohol, drugs and violence.” Randy says that “research indicates that when perception of harm decreases, actual use increases.”
His comments were included in a recent KUOW radio interview:
http://kuow.org/post/could-23rd-union-become-pot-central
The 23rd and Union folks have indicated that the presence of these pot shops in their neighborhood gives a negative message about their neighborhood. “Why the CD, and not neighborhoods with higher income residents?” is the ages old question.
The Liquor Control Board is holding a public hearing on Tuesday, October 8th, in City Hall’s Bertha Knight Landes Room. It is important that citizens attend to have their voices heard!
I-502: Rulemaking on Marijuana Production and Sales
WA State Liquor Control Board HEARING
Public Meeting – October 8 @ City Hall @ 6 PM
Has their been any response from the pastors of nearby churches who have reputations for working with at-risk kids?
What about the DOC, who I think places newly-released inmates into nearby housing? Do they have input into this question?
That of course should be “Has there been”!
And “they” refers to DOC, not inmates.
Carolyn- I haven’t heard about responses from pastors of the DOC. This hearing has not been blasted to the public until we got our hands on it…
The map underwriters should also rule out the unfeasable areas. No shops will be located on Harbor Island or in the middle of I 5. The possible and practical areas are much much fewer and smaller than the yellow.
It looks like Ballard has more available area on the map but so far I haven’t heard anyone talking about a high concentration of MJ stores in Ballard. Maybe 23rd & Union is just so ironic because of its history.
The Ballard yellow area is not limited to one specific intersection and its radius of a couple of blocks. The Central District area is. In Ballard the stores could be spread out quite a bit.
I am dismayed and horrified at the thought of turning 23rd and Union into a one stop shopping place for all substances, both legal and illegal and alcohol.
You are fully aware of the corner’s drug history and the continued open presence of drug sellers on the street once the intensive police presence ended.
You are fully aware of the murders of two owners of the restaurant on the corner and
the current arson of the restaurant.
Placing a pot shop in Central District on 23rd and Union, an area that is struggling to improve and to become home to increasing numbers of families, is cruel
Thank the City Council for further restricting locations based on any reason they could find, and particularly tahnk the councilmember who lives right nearby for not ‘finding’ some reason to exclude 23rd and Union.