


31 at another special meeting.ĭuring that same meeting, the board will then address an ordinance outlining regulations from a policy perspective, which would define acceptable uses and types of businesses. On Thursday night, the township’s board waived the first reading of those amendments. On Wednesday night, the township’s Planning Commission reviewed and recommended proposed amendments to the township’s zoning code. This week, the township held two special meetings. Over the last year, the township has grappled with contentious public meetings, conflicting views on cannabis and the invalidation of a previous ordinance as it sought to regulate the budding industry. For the last month, the firm has helped the township on the ordinance. The township hired Bauckham, Sparks, Thall, Seeber & Kaufman, a law firm based in Portage at which Kaufman is a partner. “We (advised) a two-prong approach: a (policy) ordinance and zoning.” “(My firm) was hired to assist (the township) on redeveloping the ordinance after it was previously found to have been improperly adopted,” Kaufman said.

Revisions to the township’s zoning code would create setback requirements that disqualify much of the property in the township from being the site of a potential marijuana business.Ī policing ordinance would then codify what is an acceptable cannabis business. Its new proposal would accomplish two things, according to Catherine Kaufman, an attorney who has been appointed to serve as the township’s special counsel on the marijuana ordinance. Monroe Charter Township’s latest attempt to pass an ordinance regulating cannabis enterprise within its bounds would largely restrict future businesses to the LaPlaisance Road Corridor.
