Tolland’s Planning and Zoning Commission voted 4-1 Monday night to allow retail cannabis establishments in most of the town’s commercial zones with certain restrictions.
Under the new rules, a cannabis retailer or medical marijuana dispensary would be allowed by site plan in nearly every commercial zone except a small area at the intersection of Baxter Street and Route 195.
Additionally, any retail cannabis establishment in the Technology Campus Zone along Route 195 between Goose Lane and Hillview Drive would need a special permit, since retail is not normally permitted in this area.
The PZC also decided to place additional restrictions on where any retail cannabis establishment could go, requiring them to be 100 feet from residential zones and 500 feet from any school, daycare, library, or public recreation area.
Under the regulations, the advertisement of cannabis products will be prohibited within 500 feet of school grounds, public recreation areas, or libraries.
The new regulations allow cannabis micro-cultivator facilities in the town’s industrial zones by special permit, including the business park area off Route 30 by the Vernon town line.
Under state law, Tolland is permitted to have only one retail cannabis shop and one micro-cultivator because the town has fewer than 25,000 residents.
The PZC held a public hearing on the regulations where most residents voiced reluctance towards having retail cannabis establishments in town.
“There’s always going to be people for things and people against things,” PZC member Joe Matteis said, “It’s not our job as Planning and Zoning to decide if marijuana is good for someone to use.”
Matteis said most of the town’s commercial zones also contain liquor stores.
“It’s a legal product,” PZC Chairman Andy Powell said.
Member Deb Goetz voiced her hesitation, saying, “I’m really torn on this because I heard all the people who came to our public hearing and said they didn’t want this.
“It’s so new and people are uncomfortable with something like this,” she added.
Matteis said that residents would buy and use cannabis, whether the retail establishments are allowed in town or not.
“We can’t zone our whole town around what people want to see,” he added.