Sumpter OKs ordinance to grow marijuana in Industrial zonings

The Sumpter Township Board of Trustees unanimously passed the first reading of an ordinance amendment that allows the growing of medical marijuana in Light Industrial and General Industrial zoned districts, as well as at caregivers’ homes.
At the Feb. 22 board meeting, the board accepted the recommendation of the planning commission to amend the zoning ordinances regarding location, use and operation of a Michigan Medical Marijuana Facility and definition of specific zoning districts for caregiver operations.
The caregiver must apply for a special land use and this would be acted upon by the planning commission. Before operating the facility an application must be submitted to the clerk’s office and be reviewed for completeness under the township’s Medical Marijuana Ordinance 14-206.
The planning commission’s approval of the special land use and site plan approval is contingent upon approval of the medical marijuana license application.
Trustee Matthew Oddy explained that the township board had directed the planning commission to study this proposal and make a recommendation.
For the last two years, after a Michigan Supreme Court decision, townships have had the ability to say where people can grow their medical marijuana.
They can do it at home and in Sumpter any place other than home has to be in industrial zoning, he said, noting the township’s 2015 ordinance said that and then had to be repealed.
Trustee Peggy Morgan asked where that leaves people who are growing on property not in industrial zoning. Trustee Oddy replied that existing facilities under the MMMA and Sumpter Township ordinance can continue as non-conforming uses.
Township attorney Rob Young said as long as they continue without interruption it is a non-conforming use. If there was a fire, for example, and they stopped growing for a time, it would no longer be a non-conforming use.