By DEBRA HAIGHT

Special to Leader Publications

BUCHANAN – Buchanan residents are still making their voices known about the city commission’s plans to allow a variety of medical marijuana facilities in the city.

Monday, more than three dozen people crowded into City Hall to give their views of proposed zoning ordinance amendments designed to regulate such facilities.

While the city is considering allowing medical marijuana facilities in a variety of zoning districts, it is the commission’s plan to allow a medical marijuana dispensary in the downtown business district that is proving to be the most controversial.

Residents brought their concerns along with a petition signed by 24 downtown business owners and residents to the Buchanan city commission Monday night. city commissioners continued a public hearing started two weeks ago on zoning ordinance amendments related to medical marijuana but ended up not taking a vote because of the petition.

In announcing that the commission would not vote Monday night because of the submission of the petition, Mayor Brenda Hess said the commission will take it up at its Nov. 13 meeting. The commission voted this spring to opt in to the new medical marijuana facilities state law and have been working to amend the city’s zoning ordinance since then.

Hess and Commissioner Dan Vigansky were the only ones to comment Monday about the medical marijuana issue.

Vigansky told audience members he took issue with anyone complaining about a $500,000 investment in the downtown, and said he will do all he can to make it a reality.

Hess said the commission is not entering into the issue lightly and have been working very hard over the last several months to educate themselves. She encouraged people to talk to each other and especially to talk with those they disagree with.

“We’re all united in that we all love Buchanan,” she said.

The petition submitted Monday comes two weeks after an Ann Arbor entity named Om of Medicine told commissioners that they want to locate a dispensary downtown. The company is reportedly looking at making a $500,000 investment in the former Hometown Video building at Front Street and Days Avenue.

The building is across the street from the Buchanan District Library. While the ordinance amendment mentions minimum distances from churches and schools, libraries are not mentioned.

City Zoning Administrator Debra Patzer said state law does not mention distances from libraries and leaves that up to local municipalities.

Sandy Huyvaert of Sandy’s Floral Boutique on Days Avenue is leading the petition drive against having a medical marijuana facility in the downtown business district. She said the petition was signed by business owners as well as people who live downtown in upper floor apartments.

Penny Slocum Correa owns Slocum’s gift shop on Main Street just north of Front and agrees with Huyvaert.

“I don’t feel something like this should move downtown which is a historic district,” Slocum-Correa said. “It’s too close to the library where children come. I don’t see any benefit to it going downtown. Within a couple of years, they will be selling plain marijuana and we’ll end up with a smoke shop downtown.”

On the other hand, Niles resident William Haas spoke in favor of allowing medical marijuana facilities downtown and in other zoning districts. He wants to open a grow and processing facility in the Andrews Farm Industrial Park.

“The commission has worked hard and done their jobs,” Haas said. “No one is guaranteed a license. The rules are so strict and they change weekly at the state level. We’re looking at economic development that Buchanan hasn’t seen in a long, long time. I think people will see some really good things happening. In two years, people will be surprised by what they see.”

Downtown antique shop owner Dean Ulrich said people should like the idea of someone wanting to spend $500,000 on the building.

“People want to spend $500,000 on the building and it’s good to have that instead of decaying buildings,” Ulrich said.

While Haas and Ulrich spoke in favor of allowing a medical marijuana facility downtown, others didn’t like the idea. Cindy Benson said such a facility “has no business being downtown.”

“We don’t need these things anywhere near where children are wandering around,” she said.

Corbin Detgen said that he doesn’t think families will want to move to Buchanan with such a facility downtown.

“Rather than looking at the potential revenue and income, we should look at the moral character of the community,” Detgen said.