It looks like retail cannabis businesses will be allowed to operate within the city after all.

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.City Council introduced two ordinances during its combined pre-conference and regular meeting on Tuesday night that would allow retail cannabis operations in certain parts of the city.

The two measures (O-41-22) and (O-42-22) are scheduled to come up for a public hearing and final vote at its next meeting, Nov. 9.

The first ordinance (O-41-22) would amend the city code to allow retail cannabis businesses to operate within four zones:

• I-L, Light Industrial Zone
• I-H, Heavy Industrial Zone
• B-2 Regional Business Zone
• B-3 Highway Business Zone

There are three I-L Light Industrial Zones in the city: between Lawrence Street and Routes 1&9 to Randolph Avenue/Woodbridge border; Witherspoon Street to the Woodbridge Border, and a small area across Routes 1&9 from Merck next to the Linden border. Most of the city’s I-H Heavy Industrial Zone is located in south of the railroad tracks to the Woodbridge border and East Hazelwood Avenue, except for a residential area that abuts it at New Brunswick and Regina avenues. The only other I-H zone is home to the Union County incinerator, between Routes 1&9 and the Rahway River.

The B-2 Regional Business Zone is essentially two stretches of St. Georges Avenue: from the Woodbridge border to about Grove Street and from about West Lake Avenue to Rahway River Park. The B-3 Highway Business Zone includes much of Routes 1&9.

Cannabis retail businesses would be prohibited in the Central Business District, the B-1 Neighborhood Business zone, the B-4 Service Business Zone, Residential Zone Districts, and drug-free zones. They also would not be allowed within 1,000 feet of a youth center, day care, school or property owned or leased to any school or school board, or within 500 feet of any park, playground or municipal building.

The ordinance would allow for pickup at cannabis retail businesses but not drive-through service. Hours of operation would allowed between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Sunday.

Last year, City Council and the Planning Board approved legislation that would allow five of six types of cannabis facilities to operate – all but retail – within the Light Industrial and Heavy Industrial zones. The measure allowed for two licenses of each type of operation. The governing body also set an application fee of $1,000 and annual renewal fee of the same.

A second ordinance (O-42-22) would create a new Chapter 422, Establishment of cannabis licensing and business regulations for all cannabis businesses. The measure would create an Advisory Committee to act as the local licensing application review board. An Evaluation Committee comprised of various city officials would draft a letter of recommendation to the Advisory Committee, which would be made up of three mayoral appointees.

The only comments on the legislation during Tuesday’s meeting came from Councilman At-Large Jeff Brooks, who has been a proponent for the retail aspect of marijuana businesses. The ordinance, he said, will “bring a great deal of revenue to the city.”

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