Bainbridge council unanimously approves temporary rules for marijuana businesses

The Bainbridge Island City Council unanimously approved a temporary set of regulations Monday for businesses that want to grow, process and sell marijuana.

The Bainbridge Island City Council unanimously approved a temporary set of regulations Monday for businesses that want to grow, process and sell marijuana.

The new rules also include a ban on medical marijuana collective gardens on Bainbridge Island.

The new regulations will sunset on Nov. 12.

Mayor Anne Blair said the temporary rules will give the city more time to create permanent regulations.

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“The city council has much work ahead writing reasonable land-use regulations for all aspects of the realm of marijuana growing, processing and selling,” Blair said. “I am confident we will complete our task with the best interests of the whole community at the forefront.”

According to the temporary rules, a recreational marijuana retail store will be allowed where general retail is already allowed; the Mixed Use Town Center, High School Road, and the Island Center, Lynwood Center, and Rolling Bay Neighborhood Service Centers.

Washington state has allocated one marijuana retail business license for Bainbridge, and city officials said state rules will essentially limit any marijuana retail operation to the three Neighborhood Service Centers already established on the island.

The rules also restrict recreational marijuana processing to indoor grow operations only, and those businesses will be only allowed in the business/industrial zoned area of the island near Day Road.

Recreational marijuana farms will also be allowed only in the business/industrial zoning district. Council members rejected the planning commission’s suggestion to allow small marijuana growing operations on residential land that is zoned R-0.4.