Pubdate: Wed, 11 Feb 2015 Source: Dayton Daily News (OH) Copyright: 2015 Dayton Daily News Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/7JXk4H3l Website: http://www.daytondailynews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/120 Authors: Ed Richter and Vivienne Machi OFFICIAL: POT FARM WOULD HURT CITY Middletown Grow Site, Hamilton Ban on Sales Debated. City officials and residents say building an indoor facility to grow pot in Middletown would hurt economic development and the community's image. Forty acres of land along Yankee Road near Todhunter Road would be home to one of 10 indoor marijuana growing facilities if Ohio voters approve a constitutional amendment in November to legalize pot for recreational and medicinal uses. ResponsibleOhio released a 24-page summary of the ballot language Monday that identifies where each of the 10 grow sites will be. "I think it hurts our development of the area and sends absolutely the wrong message of what Middletown is about and what we are working to become," said Middletown City Manager Doug Adkins. Vice Mayor Joe Mulligan said city officials would "take appropriate steps to protect our residents and business owners." He then added: "This gives us another reason to vote against the proposal at the ballot box." Adkins said city administration will be reviewing all of its options and discussing the matter with Middletown City Council for policy input. He said this topic "will get a lot of attention between now and election time." One Butler County city has already given the issue a lot of attention by pre-emptively banning medical marijuana sales within its limits before the measure even goes to Ohio voters. Hamilton City Council is holding a public hearing today at its 6 p.m. meeting on the zoning changes that would ban medical marijuana sales in all parts of town. Councilman Tim Naab said the proposed zoning changes are part of a plan "to bring logical, common-sense rationale for Hamilton's future, being an attractive city for today and tomorrow." And Councilman Robert Brown added that the city is trying to keep from making the same mistake it made with Internet cafes several years ago. Hamilton Mayor Pat Moeller said he needed to become more educated on the issues ahead of any statewide legislation in November and wanted to remind people that "this is a zoning issue that's set for (tonight), this is not a public hearing for legalization." But even if Hamilton says no to marijuana sellers, if Middletown were to become home to a grow site, Brown said he could see some Hamilton residents driving out there to get their fix, so it may still affect his city. "You already see people driving around with the windows pulled up and smoking cigarettes with two, three car seats in the back," Brown said. "In my opinion, I could see the same thing happening with marijuana, and my heart goes out to those children." The proposed site in Middletown is currently owned by Trenton-based Magnode Corp. and has been on the market for five years, according to company officials. The company was approached by an unidentified buyer last month via a Columbus realty company. The buyer put a down payment on the property as part of an option agreement where the property was taken off the market for at least six months. The two combined parcels, totalling 40 acres, are valued at $606,680 according to the Butler County Auditor's Office. Denise Hamet, the city's economic development director, said she was unaware of any interest by anyone to purchase the land or an option. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom