Mon City to allow medical marijuana shops
MONONGAHELA – Monongahela has become the latest municipality to prepare itself in the event that a company applies to the city to set up a medical marijuana growing operation or a shop to dispense its products.
The city’s planning commission will hold a public hearing in two weeks to discuss the topics before making a recommendation on how to amend the local zoning ordinance to permit the businesses.
“They’re taking a proactive approach to this,” said Tamie Gido, the city’s code enforcement officer.
Rostraver Township’s zoning hearing board approved an exemption in January that would allow Corinne Ogrodnik of Bethel Park to operate a medical marijuana growing plant in a building on Finley Road if she gets a state permit to operate the facility.
Under a law enacted in April, Pennsylvania plans to approve as many as 12 permits for medical marijuana grower/processors under the program to be implemented by 2018.
Hopewell Township became the first municipality in Washington County to prepare for the businesses under an amendment to its zoning ordinance its supervisors approved Jan. 9.
Gido said there are a limited number of locations in the city that would meet the requirements of a growing operation. She said the matter came to the attention of the solicitor after the city received a call about its response to the marijuana law in January.
The Monongahela amendments are being drafted by city solicitor Keith Bassi, and they will be forwarded to the planning commission, which will hold the hearing at 5 p.m. March 20 in City Hall, 449 W. Main St.