The Eugene City Council may require 1-thousand foot buffer zones between marijuana retailers. The council voted 6 to 2 Wednesday to draft an ordinance.
Members of the business community have been urging city councilors to limit the number of pot dispensaries, especially since a proliferation of the stores in downtown Eugene.
Councilor Mike Clark banged the table as he voiced his concern:
“How much time and money have we spent on consultants telling us how to have a downtown environment that’s welcoming to kids and families and everything else? And this is the folks who do business down there saying, ‘Guys, if downtown is pot-central, that’s not going to accomplish the goal and you’ve wasted all that money, and I’m gone!’”
Councilor Betty Taylor voted against the proposal, wondering why the city should regulate pot-shops but not bars or Starbucks. Councilor Alan Zelenka also voted no. Councilors Claire Syrett and Greg Evans were absent. The next step is a public hearing on the proposed ordinance, which has not yet been scheduled.