Cannabis Buffer Zones Development
State Law on Buffer Zones
• State mandated sensitive use buffering defaults can be increased or decreased by a local jurisdiction.
• Sensitive-Use Restrictions: State defaults are 600 feet distance between any licensed cannabis business and a school grades K-12, daycare, or youth center. • Local jurisdictions can increase or decrease this distance and can add other sensitive locations such as drug rehabilitation centers, residential neighborhoods, houses of worship, parks, etc.
• Businesses can be further restricted to certain planning zones. The State does not specify any default zones for commercial cannabis businesses.
Cannabis Steering Committee (CSC) Recommendations
• The CSC was asked “Are the State buffer zones sufficient?” o The CSC recommended that the buffers zone around high schools and middle schools be increased to 1500 feet, but maintain the 600-foot radius from elementary schools, day cares, and youth centers. The school buffers include private schools.
o CSC also recommended establishing a 1000-foot buffer between cannabis licensed sites.
o The reasoning provided for the recommendations: The CSC considered this to be the most responsible way to address the concerns around youth access and visibility from advertising of the stores for students who can and do walk off campus to stores in the vicinity of the schools. • The CSC was also asked “What are the appropriate coning areas for the recommended licensed activities?”
o The CSC recommended that cannabis sites be limited to commercial and industrial zones. They should not be located in zones permitting residential, public/institutional zones, or commercial regional zones (CC and CR zones, waterfront and Galleria). The SCS preferred that this use would require discretionary Conditional Use Permit approval.
o The reasoning provided for the recommendations: The SCS believed this zoning reflects the intent of prioritizing public health and safety and the most responsible way to initially allow for commercial cannabis activities.
City Council Direction
• City Council considered the CSC’s recommendations at the October 5, 2021 meeting. • Council voted against the CSC recommendations to exclude the Galleria site as a permitted location.
• Staff was directed to draft the regulatory ordinance with the CSC’s buffer and zoning recommendations, but to include Commercial Regional as an allowed zone.
Planning Commission (Commission) Ordinance Review and Recommendation • The Commission reviewed the draft Ordinance on March 3, 2022. • As it pertains to buffer zones, the Commission recommended:
o Prohibit entrance and exits and driveways associated with cannabis retailers on streets where adjacent to residential zone where residential shares that road within the same block.
o Remove the Commercial Regional zone that includes the Galleria site as an allowed zone for cannabis retail permits.
o Considering that Beach Cities Transit Route 102 is a main bus line for Redondo Beach High School students to take to school, with two bus stops on Artesia Boulevard between Ridge Lane and Hawthorne Boulevard, recommend removing the commercial sites along Artesia Boulevard between Ridge Lane and Hawthorne Boulevard from consideration for cannabis retailer permits.
City Council Direction
• Council discussed the draft cannabis ordinance on May 10, 2022. • Council did not accept the Planning Commission’s recommendations as they pertained to buffer zones. Council’s direction on buffer zones remained unchanged from the October 5, 2021 Council meeting.
Location Requirements as Written in Ordinance No. 3235-22 A. Cannabis retailers shall be permitted only in commercial and industrial zones, specifically limited to the C-1, C-2, C-2A, C-2B, C-2PD, C-3, C-3A, C-3B, C-3PD, C-4, C-4A, C-4B, C-4PD, C-5A, CR, 1-1, l-1A, 1-1 B, 1-2, l-2A, and IC-1 zones.
Cannabis retailers are prohibited in Coastal Commercial zones. Cannabis retailers are prohibited in any public-institutional zones and zones where residential is permitted.
B. No retailer shall be established or located within 1,000 feet, measured from the nearest property lines of each of the affected parcels, of any other cannabis retailer.
C. No retailer shall be established or located within 1,500 feet of any public or private high school or middle school, measured from the nearest property lines of each of the affected parcels.
D. No retailer shall be established or located within 600 feet from public or private elementary schools, day cares, and youth centers, measured from the nearest property lines of each of the affected parcels.
E. Each Council District shall only have one (1) cannabis retail site.
F. No permitted cannabis retailer may operate from a location that has previously been enforced upon for illegal cannabis activities, for a minimum of 5 years from the passing of this ordinance or from the date of the violation, whichever is later.
Community Survey
Opened April 21, 2022, closed May 5, 2022.