Pubdate: Sun, 29 Apr 2012 Source: Summit Daily News (CO) Copyright: 2012 Kevin M. Mastin Contact: http://apps.summitdaily.com/forms/letter/index.php Website: http://www.summitdaily.com/home.php Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/587 Author: Kevin M. Mastin COUNTY POT ZONING QUESTION NEEDS MORE PUBLIC INPUT There is an important issue currently being discussed in Summit County and I'd like to draw attention to it. It involves writing a code amendment for commercial medical marijuana cultivating facilities to be built and operated on agriculturally-zoned land (A-1), primarily in the Lower Blue River Basin. These facilities are called Optional Premise Cultivating operations; they are currently banned in unincorporated Summit County and are limited to commercially zoned land. I think this is a bad amendment and is a misapplication of zoning (for too many reasons to outline in this letter). Whether you agree with me or disagree is not my critical issue: It is the lack of public input that has been solicited on this important change. Although the county did make public notice of the meeting, the topic of the change regarding the A-1 zoning aspect - which is the crux of the report - was not mentioned in the notice. When the Lower Blue Planning Commission reviewed it, there was a quorum of six commissioners and no one from the public. I attended the following Countywide Planning Commission and was one of only two public attendees, I spoke in opposition, but as per protocol, I wasn't allowed to ask questions or have any sort of follow-up. Frustrated by the lack of publicity on the issue, I sent a message to as many neighbors as I could. Most were unaware of the A-1 component and were upset that the residents of the Lower Blue had not been contacted, invited or notified. A few neighbors and I attended this week's Board of County Commissioners work session. We were each allowed to make a statement, but dialogue and questions were not permitted. My request was for the Board of County Commissioners to remove the A-1 allowance from the proposed amendment. The very first sentence of the Lower Blue Master Plan Vision Statement reads "Carefully coordinate, consider and respect citizen involvement." The county may feel it has have done all that which is required, but they did not respect the intent of our master plan. I feel strongly that regarding a code change as important as this, respect and citizen involvement is paramount. Obviously, I would like everyone to side with me on this issue, but that's not the point. The point is to allow an open conversation. Kevin M. Mastin candidate for Summit County Commissioner - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D