cover
TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: Planning Commission
DATE: October 3, 2019
SUBJECT:
An Ordinance Approving a Text Amendment to Ordinance Number 3100, being the Aurora Zoning Ordinance to modify certain portions being Section 3.3 Definitions, Section 4.3 Special Uses & Structures and Table One: Use Categories (City of Aurora - 19-0872 / KDWK-19.171-TXT/AZO - ES)
PURPOSE:
A proposed Text amendment modifying certain portions of Section 3.3 Definitions, Section 4.3 Special Uses and Structures and Table One: Use Categories of Ordinance Number 3100 being the Aurora Zoning Ordinance regarding Cannabis Uses in the City of Aurora in response to recent State of Illinois legislation.
BACKGROUND:
On June 25, 2019, the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (P.A.101-0027), was signed into law by the State of Illinois, effective January 1, 2020. The Act legalizes the purchase, possession and private use of cannabis by adults 21 years of age or older for recreational use. The majority of the law pertains to the sales, processing, distribution, taxes and eligible users of cannabis.
The Act allows Local Government to have zoning authority to prohibit (opt out) or limit the location of cannabis business by enacting reasonable zoning regulations as long as they are not in conflict with the Act. These regulations may include designating the time, place, manner and number of cannabis operations, including minimum distances between certain locations. The Local Government cannot license cannabis facilities as licensing authority remains exclusively under state jurisdiction.
Generally, the Act also limits dispensaries from locating within 1,500 feet of another dispensary. Only dispensaries will be open to the public and the State has limited the amount of dispensaries to the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area, which includes Aurora, to 47 dispensaries.
DISCUSSION:
Using the already established zoning ordinance regulations for medical cannabis and expanding it to cover the...
Click here for full text