Pasco mayor’s backtrack on pot shop spots called ‘underhanded’ and ‘disappointing’
The Pasco City Council will consider changing last month’s decision that would have paved the way for retail cannabis stores in industrial parts of town.
After months of hearings, debates and proposals, Pasco was on track to be the first local city to lift its ban on retail marijuana sales.
Now, Mayor Blanche Barajas says she wants to take back her tie-breaking vote and study the issue more.
Her initial effort to immediately rescind her vote last week was met with pushback from other council members who questioned if that was the proper procedure.
Instead, the issue will be back on the council’s Feb. 21 meeting agenda.
On Jan. 17 the council voted 4-3 to direct city staff to begin draft an ordinance that will allow pot shops in industrial zones with special use permits.
The three who voted “nay” wanted to allow cannabis stores in some commercial areas, too.
Barajas could not be reached later by the Herald by phone or email about her change of heart and concerns.
‘Underhanded and kind of shifty’
At the Feb. 6 council meeting, she told fellow council members, “I feel that seven options on this was overwhelming. I wish I would have had more direction, in particular from staff, in regards to process. And so, yes, I do feel I need further discussion on this resolution before it moves any further.”
But her effort to undo the council’s vote irked other members.
Joseph Campos — who voted against the measure in January to lift the ban in industrial zones because he wanted a more expansive option — said rehashing the topic would only muddy the waters.
“We carry the burden for making sure that we’re responsible for knowing what we’re voting for, and if this were a less controversial topic I’d be in full support of this. But this seems kind of underhanded and kind of shifty, the way we’re going about it,” Campos said.
Councilman Pete Serrano said the only people who lose with rescinding the decision is the public, who have been following the steady beats of development.
“In the five years I’ve been on council, this is the first time we’ve ever had a situation where we’ve decided we had to backtrack, and I think it’s just disappointing, to be honest,” said Serrano. “Yes, there were seven options, and maybe we didn’t all understand them. So be it. I’m disappointed, that’s all I can say.”
City attorney Eric Ferguson told council members they need to get the issue settled because an ordinance still needs to be drafted and that it will take time to outline specific regulations and policies, such as a conditional-use permit process.
“This resolution is an attempt to try to make sure that we focus and know exactly what council wants us to come back with.... And so, there’s a lot of factors to this. This is an extremely complicated issue,” he said.
Cannabis shop vote
The council considered seven options when it voted Jan. 17.
The variables they considered were zoning — if they wanted to lift the ban in commercial zones, industrial zones or both — and whether or not they wanted to require a conditional-use permit.
The council wasn’t taking a vote on a proposal but, rather, telling city staff their choice for moving forward so that a law and rules could be created.
The council ultimately passed a plan for an ordinance that would allow retail cannabis store owners to sell their product in light-, medium- and heavy-industrial zones with a special permit.
The choice was seen as a fair compromise for worried community members who were sour to a proposal to allow retail cannabis in the city’s downtown area.
Requiring a special use permit means that Pasco would also require those business owners to go in front of the city’s hearing examiner, who would decide if the permit is granted or if any additional limitations were needed.
Simply put, special use permits deal with special uses in certain places. The permits are often required for businesses such as night clubs, churches, schools and event centers. That permit processes also notifies nearby property owners.
The city has about 8,100 acres zoned industrial within the city limits. Most of that is east of 20th Avenue and is outside downtown and surrounding neighborhoods.
Local pot shops
Aside from Prosser, all cities in Benton and Franklin counties ban cannabis retailers.
And there are only two dispensaries in the Tri-Cities area: Nirvana Cannabis Company and Green2Go.
Both are within unincorporated Benton County. Nirvana is just outside the West Richland city limits and Green2Go is in Finley, just outside of Kennewick.
Prosser has Altitude on Merlot Drove. It’s other dispensary, The Bake Shop, located along Griffin Road, is in unincorporated Benton County.
This story was originally published February 16, 2023 at 12:25 PM.
