Eagle County commissioners to weigh retail pot regs at Oct. 29 hearing

The Eagle County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday will consider a draft amendment to the county’s land use regulations that would allow retail marijuana businesses to operate in certain zone districts within unincorporated Eagle County.

The hearing is scheduled for 1:15 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 29 at the Eagle County Building, located at 500 Broadway in Eagle. The amendment is available for review online at www.eaglecounty.us/planning.

The county’s proposed regulations would make retail marijuana businesses allowable within specified areas of the Commercial Limited and Commercial General zone districts; which are the same areas approved in 2010 for medical marijuana businesses. Currently, there are four medical marijuana businesses operating within those areas.

The draft amendment was reviewed and recommended for approval with conditions earlier in the month by the Eagle County and Roaring Fork Valley Regional planning commissions.

Conditions included a recommendation on additional zone districts for the cultivation, manufacturing and testing of retail marijuana and retail marijuana products; and adding marijuana “social clubs” as a defined use within the county’s land use regulations and establishing parameters for their review.

The passage of Amendment 64 by voters in November 2012 made legal the cultivation, possession and use of limited amounts of recreational marijuana by adults 21 years or older. To comply with state legislation, the county must act to either approve or prohibit the establishment of retail marijuana businesses within its jurisdiction.

Interested community members are encouraged to attend Tuesday’s meeting. Questions or written comments can be directed to Senior Planner Scot Hunn at scot.hunn@eaglecounty.us.