Home Economy Government Ordinance allowing more cannabis shops in Providence clears City Plan Commission

Ordinance allowing more cannabis shops in Providence clears City Plan Commission

By

Katie Castellani

-

05/22/2024

Screenshot (23) — A map showing where cannabis shops could open under a proposed zoning ordinance./Courtesy of the Providence City Planning Commission.

PROVIDENCE – Some parts of the city could get a little greener. The City Plan Commission unanimously voted Tuesday to recommend that the City Council pass a zoning ordinance that would allow cannabis stores to open in many more parts of the city. Dispensaries are only allowed to open in a specific industrial zone in

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PROVIDENCE – Some parts of the city could get a little greener. The City Plan Commission unanimously voted Tuesday to recommend that the City Council pass a zoning ordinance that would allow cannabis stores to open in many more parts of the city. Dispensaries are only allowed to open in a specific industrial zone in Providence, mainly because of the size of the space needed to grow cannabis. Under the proposed ordinance cannabis shops would be allowed to open in downtown, heavy commercial and light industrial zones by right as well as in general commercial zones with a special permit. The proposal also has an equity component as those with social equity and worker cooperative licenses would be allowed by right in general commercial zones. This means cannabis shops could open in many prominent neighborhoods including Wayland Square, Federal Hill and Wickenden Street. The proposed ordinance comes from City Council President Rachel Miller and Councilor Miguel Sanchez. During the meeting Sanchez said to get one of the state’s cannabis licenses a business needs to have a location secured, but this is very difficult to do under Providence’s current zoning laws. The Slater Center on Corliss Street is the city’s only dispensary and is located within an industrial zone. Within Rhode Island, recreational cannabis can only be sold at dispensaries that already have a license. But there will be 24 new retail licenses – half of which are reserved for social equity and worker co-op applicants – available once the state’s Cannabis Control Commission is operating. The licenses will be distributed across six zones in the state and each can receive four licenses, including one social-equity application and one worker co-op. Providence shares a zone with Lincoln, North Providence, Central Falls and Johnston. Andre Dev, who has worked with several groups trying to set up worker-owned cooperatives, said the ordinance could help Providence be competitive within the rest of the state’s cannabis industry. This is because it would allow businesses to secure the needed real estate and be prepared to apply for retail licenses when the Cannabis Control Commission begins issuing them. He also said it would give the city the chance to by making it easier for those from diverse backgrounds to open a cannabis store in the city. “It’s [the cannabis industry] not going to stay the same, it can’t,” Dev said. “If we don’t think ahead … we’ll fall behind.” Sharon Steele, president of the Jewelry District Association, said the neighborhood group and several other business owners she has spoken to are “100% opposed” to the proposal, noting “every inch” of available first floor commercial space in the Jewelry District is within a residential building. Steele also expressed concerns about a lack of communication from the city about the proposal councilors introduced weeks ago, saying that she had not heard about it before last Friday when a Boston Globe reporter contacted her. Mayor Brett P. Smiley has not taken a stance on the issue. “The mayor is giving the various city departments who need to weigh-in on this proposed ordinance time to consider its impact and provide those opinions to him,” Josh Estrella, a spokesman for Smiley, said May 20. With their recommendation commissioners advised the City Council to increase the 500-foot buffer between a retail cannabis location included in the proposal to 1,000 feet and that the law department has time to confirm the ordinance follows state law. Also, because the city's proposed updates to the Comprehensive Plan would get rid neighborhood commercial districts and convert them to general commercial zones, commissioners recommended the council should look at areas that would require a special use permit. The ordinance will go back to the City Council for further consideration. It was not immediately clear when it would be discussed again. Katie Castellani is a PBN staff writer. You may contact her at Castellani@PBN.com.