Reno City Council
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
What Happened
The Reno City Council held a workshop on medical marijuana licensing and zoning, voting to remove a 300-foot residential buffer requirement and resolving several operational framework questions while deferring major decisions on location restrictions and fee structures.
Key Decisions
APPROVED — Remove 300-foot residential setback buffer for cannabis establishments — Unanimous — Council eliminated the distance-based separation requirement but kept a prohibition on locating in residentially-zoned areas
APPROVED — Use base zoning hours for cannabis operations with case-by-case flexibility — Unanimous — Hours will match the underlying zone (industrial, commercial, or mixed-use) with individual performance agreements allowing different hours if requested
APPROVED — Implement $20,000 annual flat fee for cannabis establishment licenses — Majority support — All establishment types (dispensaries, cultivation, testing, production) pay the same rate; application fee set at $40,000
Debated But Not Resolved
Dispensary allocation numbers — Council requested Washoe County increase Reno's cap from 2 to 5 dispensaries; county has not yet scheduled decision — County commission will determine if request moves forward
East 4th Street corridor restrictions — Council split on whether dispensaries should be allowed in this transit corridor currently excluded from dispensary locations — Staff to clarify what council wants before sending recommendations to Planning Commission
Downtown facility zoning — Debate over whether cultivation, production, and testing labs should be permitted in downtown entertainment and mixed-use zones (Wells Avenue to Keystone area) — Staff requested council articulate preferences; Planning Commission will review
Signage and advertising rules — Council raised concerns about off-premise advertising and billboards but lacks authority analysis — Staff to research what state law allows cities to restrict
Police enforcement fees for extended hours — Question whether extended operating hours could be offered if businesses pay additional annual enforcement fees — Legal counsel needs to review state law implications before recommendation
What to Watch
None exceeding $50,000 threshold.
County dispensary allocation decision — Reno requested its cap increase from 2 to 5 licenses; county commission will decide whether to grant this. Determines how many businesses can operate here.
May 28 fee structure finalization — Council deferred final approval of the $20,000 annual and $40,000 application fees pending comparison spreadsheet of other cities' cannabis licensing costs.
Planning Commission zoning map — Council has not finalized which neighborhoods allow dispensaries, cultivation facilities, and testing labs. Staff needs clear direction before Planning Commission acts.
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