In an emotionally charged meeting Monday night, Bellevue City Council approved an interim ordinance restricting certain co-operative and research marijuana establishments in the city.
Council also heard pleas on both sides for a proposed ordinance which would restrict marijuana retailers to a set limit in certain neighborhoods.
The ordinance passed unanimously with only Councilman Kevin Wallace not in attendance. The ordinance placed a six-month temporary restriction on medical marijuana co-operatives, marijuana research and imposed civil penalties and abatements for violations of certain provisions.
The other ordinance — which would have been an interim zoning control limiting one marijuana retailer each to Bel-Red, Crossroads, Eastgate, Factoria and Wilburton — brought about comments from dozens of people.
Parents spoke about the dangers of marijuana, addiction and the perception of cannabis as a gateway drug to opioids (despite the fact that states which allow the medical use of marijuana actual have 25 percent lower rates of deaths resulting from opioid analgesic overdoses).
Opponents of the ordinance claimed that legal distributors are diligent about checking cards, said teenage alcohol abuse was more prevalent and that a black market would exist for marijuana either way.
Council members kept a level head about the issue, thanking speakers for impassioned speeches but ultimately deciding to do more research before limiting or allowing marijuana retailers. A vote on the ordinance would be held later this year.
“It’s not our intention to raise this issue to areas where it would be banned in the city,” said Deputy mayor John Chelminiak. “We’d like to move forward in a fashion which is reasonable.”
Not all council members wanted come down in the middle of the issue.
“If I had my druthers, I would ban them,” said councilmember Conrad Lee. “But we are not banning it now, and we are seeing how we can make it work. For me it is a moral issue.”
Councilmember Lynne Robinson was concerned about what would happen to those businesses already in good standing should an ordinance impact where they can rent. Councilmembers Jennifer Robertson and Vandana Slatter both were concerned about restricting the will of the voters, who passed Initiative 502 (legalizing small amounts of marijuana for those 21 and older) in 2012.
Mayor John Stokes added that a black market for marijuana would exist no matter what the city did, so being reasonable about ordinances was the best approach going forward.
In other council news:
• The Downtown Livability initiative is nearing the mid-point of the project, and council discussed an incentive zoning system to build things the city of Bellevue prioritizes. Council voted not to preserve the Rainier sight corridor from City Hall with Chelminiak as the one dissenting vote.
• Authorized a contract for $17.9 million dollars with Ohno Construction Company to construct the “Complete the Circle and Inspiration Playground Project” in Bellevue Downtown Park, approved an amendment to a utilities contract adding $1.2 million to a contractor for increased costs in sewer pipes, approved a motion to award a sewer repairs contract to Shoreline Construction Company for $1 million and approved a motion to award a major traffic signal upgrade project to Kamins Construstion, Inc. for $1.7 million
• Passed an ordinance amending the Parks 2016 Capital Investment Program budget to recognize $1,575,000 of additional grant funds for Inspiration Playground from King County, the State of Washington and the National Park Service.
