West Hartford Calls for Timeout on Marijuana Facilities

The West Hartford Town Council on Tuesday will hold a public hearing on an ordinance that, if passed, will prohibit marijuana dispensary and production facilities, as well as pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in town for nine months.

Town Manager Ron Van Winkle said in a telephone interview on Wednesday that the ordinance will give the town time to research the matter to find out what the manufacturers and retailers look like and develop appropriate zoning.

Van Winkle said that the town was not “prohibiting or allowing” such facilities, but merely giving West Hartford officials nine months to determine what areas in town would be suitable for such operations.

Indeed, the proposed ordinance states that the town will “[s]tudy different impacts on the community that these production facilities and dispensaries may have.”

Van Winkle said that the town could, for example, require that the dispensaries or manufacturing facilities be a certain distance from a school. The town could also determine that an industrial or commercial zone is best suited for such operations.

The town has been approached by a handful prospective retailers and manufacturers with some interest in locating in West Hartford, Van Winkle said.

The Town Council is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall, Room 314.