Pubdate: Thu, 15 Jan 2009
Source: Press Democrat, The (Santa Rosa, CA)
Copyright: 2009 The Press Democrat
Contact:  http://www.pressdemocrat.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/348
Author: Glenda Anderson
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?115 (Cannabis - California)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)
Cited: Americans for Safe Access http://www.safeaccessnow.org/

POT ORDINANCE TARGETS INDOOR GROWERS

Fort Bragg is joining other North Coast cities in  limiting marijuana 
cultivation, citing threats to the  area's housing stock as well as 
public health and  safety.

Fort Bragg's ordinance -- slated for final adoption  Jan. 26 -- is 
unusual in that it focuses primarily on  indoor marijuana cultivation.

"This is new to me," said Joe Elford, staff attorney  with Americans 
for Safe Access, a national group  promoting medicinal uses for 
marijuana. "Most of the  problems we hear about are with outdoor cultivation."

Outdoor growing is not an issue in Fort Bragg because  it's too cold 
and foggy to grow marijuana, officials  said. Nevertheless, outdoor 
growing is banned under the  new ordinance.

The ordinance limits indoor growing to a 50-square-foot  area per 
parcel. Variances would be available through a  permit process.

"We're not trying to stop people from growing," said  Fort Bragg 
Mayor Doug Hammerstrom. He said officials  just want the operations 
to be safe and considerate of  neighbors.

The ordinance also prohibits growing marijuana adjacent  to schools 
or public parks; regulates the types of  structures and lighting that 
can be used; and prohibits  cultivation for sale.

Violators are subject to prosecution for misdemeanors.

Since marijuana became legal for medicinal use, indoor  growing 
operations have proliferated in Fort Bragg,  city and police officials said.

The new ordinance will give police a new tool to combat  excessive 
and illegal marijuana growing, Fort Bragg  Police Lt. Mike Richards said.

As elsewhere, pot cultivation in Fort Bragg has  generated complaints 
from neighbors upset about the  stench of ripening buds, increased 
traffic day and  night, snarling guard dogs and the potential for 
electrical fires and armed robberies.

But city officials also are concerned about the  increasingly common 
practice of pot growers using  entire houses solely for pot production.

The practice decreases the number of homes available as  dwellings, 
said Community Development Director Marie  Jones.

Fort Bragg already suffers from a shortage of  affordable housing, 
she said. The city's general plan  estimates the shortage at 256 
units, Jones said.  Overall, it has 2,700 housing units available for 
some 7,000 inhabitants, a majority of whom qualify as low  income.

Jones said she's seen homes that have been entirely  gutted and 
fitted with non-standard wiring that is  prone to electrical 
overloads that can cause fires.

The moisture from the operations also causes unhealthy  mold to grow 
inside the homes, making them  uninhabitable, she said.

"We've had a couple of examples of buildings being  destroyed," Jones said.

A 100-year-old two-story home in downtown Fort Bragg  likely will be 
demolished because of damage inflicted  by marijuana growers, she said.

It was gutted to make more room for the marijuana  operation, Jones 
said. The pot-growing owners walked  away from the house as the 
mortgage meltdown began  several years ago, she said.

The ordinance will take effect 30 days after its final  approval.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom