SOMERS POINT — Somers Point is moving forward with plans to allow one or more cannabis businesses to operate in the city.
Councilman Rick DePamphilis reported May 11 that the Cannabis Committee now recommends allowing one retail business and one distributor.
The city now has to decide where they should be allowed to operate. City Council discussed limiting them to part of Route 9 and Somers Point-Mays Landing Road.
Councilman Howard Dill said he continues to harbor reservations about whether the revenue would be worth the effort, again saying the state is notorious for taking taxes it once allowed municipalities to keep. The city stands to gain 2 percent of retail sales and 1 percent of distribution sales.
He said he prefers allowing the businesses the full length of Route 9 — excluding inside the boundary for the charter school and Jordan Road School.
Solicitor Tom Smith said the Planning Board would recommend the best locations, telling City Council that he needed its input on how to proceed.
He said the next step would be to start to draft an interview process and criteria for what the city wants from applicants and to meet with members of the Planning Board for its recommendations, since the master plan would have to be amended to allow the businesses. Smith said they likely would create an overlay in one or two districts.
Councilman Joe McCarrie said he would like some method for expanding from one of each to possibly five total if the market calls for it in the future.
“I don’t think one and one is a good business decision,” he said.
DePamphillis said he thinks the city should proceed slowly.
City Council President Janice Johnston said it’s important to set a limit now.
“If we say we are doing five, we will end up with five,” she said.
Councilman Sean McGuigan said Somers Point is only 4 square miles.
“Why would we need five? Adding marijuana to a business setting is not for Somers Point and it’s not for me,” he said.
Councilwoman Karen Bruno, who is on the Cannabis Committee, said the idea behind allowing a distribution center is to bring jobs to the area.
City Council also discussed hours of operation.
Johnston said she believes most towns have a 6 p.m. closing time.
“I would prefer they not be open at night,” she said.
Dill said 8 p.m. would not be too late.
“I would like there to be no congregating around the building,” Johnston said.
McGuigan has been against the idea from the get-go, saying he believes allowing cannabis sales could be harmful to the existing businesses.
“I actually agree with Councilman McGuigan — I don’t actually want it here,” Johnston said. “I did not vote to legalize it but over 70 percent of voters did.”
She also repeated her contention that because the product can be delivered direct to the customer, the city may as well benefit financially from it.
“I feel like we should benefit from that 2 percent tax; we will have to deal with the issues anyway,” Johnston said.
During public comment, a resident from Woodland Avenue argued that while two-thirds of voters in the city and state approved decriminalization, they did not approve pot shops in their town.
“I really think you’re opening up Pandora’s box here with even one dispensary,” he said. “We never voted for this. You want this, not the people of Somers Point.”
Rich Cross of Berlin said he is currently opening a dispensary and grow facility in Waterford Township.
He told City Council that allowing a distributor would be a waste of time because “no one will be growing in Somers Point.”
“I would think that maybe recommending two retail operations, one in each side of town, would maximize revenue,” he said, adding that an economist projected the revenue and “every time you’re not getting that, someone else is. There is nothing wrong with the industry as long as it’s regulated properly.”
In other business, the city tabled resolution 104 with plans to discuss it during closed session.
The resolution would appoint a conditional redeveloper and authorizing execution of a memorandum of understanding for Block 525, Lot 2.01, which is the city-owned property at the end of Defeo Lane.
No other information was available.
During public comment, John Helbig asked if it were regarding the solar project in the area.
Johnston said it was a new project City Council was just starting to discuss for next to the solar park.
Eased parking
for restaurants
The city also introduced an ordinance that would ease parking requirements for restaurants in the General Business, Highway Commercial 1 and 2 and Transient Commercial districts.
General Business includes Somers Point Plaza, bordered by New Road, Bethel Road and Groveland Avenue, where there is abundant parking.
Highway Commercial 1 is spread throughout the city and includes a long stretch of New Road, several sections of Shore Road, the Maryland Avenue corridor and a couple of areas of Bethel Road. There’s also a spot at the intersection of New Road and Somers Point-Mays Landing Road and one where Caroline’s is located.
Highway Commercial 2 is limited to one spot along MacArthur Boulevard, from near Braddock Drive to the bridge.
The Transient Commercial district is located along Somers Point-Mays Landing Road between MacArthur and New Road.
Perhaps more importantly is where the parking requirements will not be eased, along Bay Avenue in the Historic Village Commercial, Historic Village Residential and Historic Village Waterfront zones.
Smith said the changes are supported by the city engineer, Economic Development Advisory Commission and Somers Point Business Association.
Finally, the city amended its code regulating the number of liquor licenses a person could own, increasing it from one to two.
By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff