DOVER, DE- A Dover City Council Committee is moving closer to finalizing the rules surrounding marijuana-related businesses within the city, as two key ordinances were advanced at Tuesday's Council of the Whole meeting.
The ordinances—one regarding licensing fees and the other focused on zoning and distance requirements—are seen as necessary steps as the city approaches a looming December 31 deadline for marijuana regulation.
Councilman Roy Sudler stressed the importance of the council acting swiftly.
"We know that December 31 is coming up—and we know we are at a deadline—and people want to compete to have a dispensary—just the ramifications and the scope of what that looks like from a legislative perspective."
Ordinance 2024-24 sets licensing fees for various marijuana-related businesses, including cultivation, manufacturing, testing, and compassion centers.
The second ordinance discussed, Ordinance 2024-25, establishes zoning and distance requirements.
Before Tuesday’s meeting, marijuana businesses were required to be located at least 500 feet away from neighborhoods, schools, childcare centers, and drug treatment centers.
Mayor Christiansen, along with others on the city council, believed that this distance was not sufficient, which is why he supported the proposal of increasing the 500-foot distance to 750 feet.
"The 750 feet is a compromise. The City of Dover will make nothing off of this other than convenience for people who would use these facilities."
The new 750-foot rule for the zoning ordinance narrowly passed with a 6-5 vote.
However, Sudler, along with others, raised concerns that churches were not included in the list of restricted areas.
"Currently, the zoning does not allow for us to say 'not around churches' because churches fall under assembly."
Mayor Robin Christiansen agreed with Sudler, noting that religious communities had expressed concerns about marijuana facilities being located near places of worship.
As of now, marijuana-related businesses are restricted to the city's commercial corridor, meaning downtown Dover will not be getting any marijuana businesses. The mayor says that with the current revitalization project of downtown Dover underway, he and the committee feel that these marijuana-related businesses should not be in the downtown area.
These ordinances will now move on to a first reading by the City Council later this month, followed by a review by the Planning Commission in November. If approved, a public hearing and final vote by the City Council will take place before the December deadline.
