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MAYOR FLOATS PLAN FOR POT SALES AREAS

FAIRBANKS - The Fairbanks North Star Borough mayor released a tentative map Friday of where marijuana retail sales might be allowed, including around Fairbanks International Airport, Van Horn Road, near the Alaska Railroad Corp depot, on a short stretch of College Road and along a portion of South Cushman Street.

Marijuana retail sales also might be allowed on either side of the Johansen Expressway between Peger Road and University Avenue and on the north side of Phillips Field Road near Illinois Street.  The industrial area beside the Aurora Subdivision also could have pot shops.

What these areas have in common is they are zoned commercial or industrial and are not too close to federal drug-free zones, such as schools, playgrounds, public housing, youth centers, public pools and arcades.

Borough Mayor Luke Hopkins said he wants to keep marijuana businesses away from drug-free zones where the businesses might attract scrutiny from the federal government, which outlaws pot with harsher penalties in drug-free zones.

"What we don't want to do is set businesses up for those double fines," Hopkins said at a meeting Friday of his marijuana policy advisory council.

The mayor, along with one of the borough's lawyers and some Community Planning Department staff, led the meeting, involving a roundtable discussion with leaders in the business, law enforcement, health and education sectors.

A member from the Coalition for Responsible Cannabis Legislation also attended.

The discussion centered on how to keep businesses selling weed away from places that cater to children and families.

The group talked about adding child care centers and substance abuse rehabilitation facilities to the list of places that would need a buffer zone.

If a marijuana store opened across from a child care center, Assemblywoman Diane Hutchison said, "You are going to have a lot of people saying, 'How on earth did the borough let this happen?'"

Borough planner Kellen Spillman said there are hundreds of licensed day care centers in the borough.

"This is screening out significant land area with day care," Community Planning Department Director Christine Nelson said.

Buffering day care facilities would essentially push marijuana retail sales out of the central business district in Fairbanks, Nelson added.

"There are liquor stores right across from day care centers right now," said Michael Bork, the director of parks and recreation for the borough.

Liquor stores have few restrictions, essentially a 200-foot buffer from schools, Community Planning Department staff members said.

The group also discussed general use zoning, where Nelson said "pretty much anything goes."

The mayor is suggesting that marijuana businesses in general use zoning be judged on a case-by-case basis with an application, notifications to neighbors and a public hearing.

The Johansen Expressway shopping district is zoned general use.  The Chena Pump Road area is also zoned general use along with Badger Road and most of the outskirts of Fairbanks.

Marijuana retail sales would be prohibited in areas zoned residential under Hopkins' tentative proposal.

"We are not looking at allowing it in any residential zones," Nelson said.