MANCHESTER – Following what is becoming a trend by communities in Ocean County, the Township Council is looking to ban the sale and cultivation of recreational marijuana.
Councilmen Robert Hudak and James Vaccaro took lead on a committee to study the development of a plan to address the legalization of cannabis approved during a November 2020 ballot question.
The governor and legislature gave municipalities a 180-day deadline to decide whether they would permit growth and sales of marijuana in their respective communities and if so how it would be implemented. Many municipalities are choosing to opt out of that. However they have several years to adjust their decision if desired.
Seaside Heights, Seaside Park, Brick and Lacey are among the Ocean County towns that have either passed or considered ordinances to ban or limit cannabis sales in their communities. The earliest that adult recreational sales can start is August 22.
“Councilman Vaccaro and I have been meeting with the township planner in regards to the recent development of the marijuana laws enacted by the state. We took a proactive approach seeing on what could be done especially if we allowed on a very limited basis the industrial manufacturing zones as a conditional use,” Hudak said.
He added that manufacture, cultivation and wholesale issues were reviewed “and the reality is we looked at it with a 500-foot buffer from residential zones and commercial zones and after really looking at it we came up with approximately four properties in town, three of which may be in the wetlands, so I think the entire issue needs more significant review.”
“That is why I really feel we should enact a ban as prescribed by the League of Municipalities. They came up with such a proposal to encourage towns to give us more time to really research the issue. We understand our voters have supported legalized marijuana but I don’t think we are in a position right now given the short time frame we have to do anything to come up with any sensible proposal that quickly,” Hudak said.
The councilman added “from what I understand we can always revisit the issue to make the law less restrictive… I think we should do what the League recommended and at least adopt a ban for now and to keep taking a look at this issue.”
Councilman Vaccaro reached out recently to restart a committee examining updating the township’s master plan. Hudak noted that the marijuana issue would also fall under that type of review. He noted that the township also wanted to look at warehouse issues and that a future meeting would be held to discuss those subjects.
“We wanted to be open minded about things and hear both points,” Council President Craig Wallis said. “The good part of it is that you are recommending we move forward with a ban until more is known. Even the state doesn’t know everything.”
Wallis asked Township Clerk Sabina Martin to confer with the township’s lawyer to draw up an ordinance for a total ban.
“I think what the League recommended is the best way to go right now,” Hudak added. “We can still keep exploring the issue as we do want to be responsive to the voters but at the same time with the truncated time frame, they really aren’t doing the issue justice. To your point Councilman Wallis even the state is developing their approach to this. It is the only real option at this point.”
“I don’t know of any town in Ocean County that has gone ahead and allowed it. We are talking the sale and manufacture and things like that. The use of it is something different,” the council president added.
Hudak agreed, “yes, it isn’t a judgement on that. You should know all the facts before we have a knee jerk reaction.”
Vaccaro had, for more than a year, called for the governing body prior to the passage of the November 2020 ballot question, to study and introduce an ordinance to ban use, growth and sales of marijuana in Manchester Township. The council ultimately opted not to do that stating that to pass such an ordinance concerning recreational marijuana might be voided if the ballot question passed.
Several residents spoke during the public comment period of the meeting commending the council’s decision to enact a ban on growing and selling cannabis in the township.
