BUCHANAN — More than a dozen residents of Buchanan’s north side came to Monday’s city council meeting to voice their concerns about the location of a proposed medical marijuana dispensary in the town.
Originally, Buchanan resident Johnny Wallace proposed the opening of the dispensary at 1103 Red Bud Trail, property his business partner owns. But residents are upset because the proposed location sits in their neighborhood, and is in close proximity to four churches and Moccasin Elementary School.
Speaking out at the meeting was Buchanan Superintendent Andrea van der Laan.
“I honestly do not know if I am coming tonight as a community member or a superintendent, but I think I wear both hats and speak in both veins,” she told the council. “I have to tell you that I am opposed in both ways.”
The superintendent encouraged the council members to take a hard look at how a dispensary would affect the image of the city.
“As you are making this decision I am hoping that you take into consideration the vision that we have really started to build in this community,” she said. “It is those small, hometown, old-fashioned values that we have, and I do not want to see that change.”
Van der Laan went on to cite rising crime statistics from Seattle and Denver.
Buchanan resident Michael Rowland, a resident of Colorado when the marijuana law was enacted, came to speak on a separate issue and did not have an opinion about the marijuana situation one way or the other, but was compelled to offer caution with the statistics from Colorado.
“When you look at stats, specifically stats that have to do with crime, what you also have to look at is that Denver is the second fastest growing city in the country,” he said. “They had double-digit growth over the last 10 years, and per capita crime has actually gone down.”
Rowland urged the council to dig deep into the facts about the law before making any decisions.
“I think if we look at it, [the city’s decision] should be based on fact, it should not be just based on emotion,” he said. “I do think that the [proposed] location is not the perfect location.”
Jeanne Harris, of Buchanan, echoed van der Laan’s sentiment to preserve Buchanan’s values.
“Buchanan, to me, is like Mayberry, USA,” she said. “You have got this Promise here [the Buchanan Promise] where you are trying to get people to bring their children here to buy homes here, but then on the other hand you have got this marijuana dispensary that you also want to put in this town.”
Harris reminded the council of recent times when the community was rife with drug issues and violence as part of her concern.
“You can consider putting it somewhere else, but we are going to do whatever we have to do to fight you on this,” she said. “Because we do not want it at the corner of Red Bud Trail and Bluff Street.”
Pastor Glenn Boyer, of Niles’ New Good Hope Baptist Church, made clear that the major concern is the proposed location.
“To really understand what the community is saying, do not even consider that [location] at all,” he said. “You have got a lot spaces other spaces and in other areas. … We are not knocking the law, we have to uphold the law, but we do have a voice in where our community is, and how to run our community.”
City Manager Bill Marx cleared the air on some of the issues the crowd was concerned with, specifically that the proposal is in its earliest stages and the council has not enacted any legislation on the matter.
“We have made no effort, and taken no action to opt into the [medical marijuana] law,” Marx said. “Right now, marijuana is still not here. It is not going to be here until the commission opts in.”
Marx went on to explain that the council is still gathering information to educate themselves on the issue and what it would mean for Buchanan. To that end, Marx suggested the council host two public hearings, one for people who support the law and one for those who oppose it, which garnered support from commissioners.
“We want your input,” he said. “ [We want] to hear everything you have to say, pro and con, about this idea.”
Mayor Brenda Hess was encouraged by the presence of the crowd, and hopes to get more input from the community on this and other issues.
“I am thrilled [to see people speaking out]!” Hess said. “We do not like governing in a bubble.”