Just a couple weeks after the planning commission ruled that the old Mor Furniture for Less store couldn’t be turned into a marijuana grow facility, the Cathedral City council voted to allow the business to cultivate weed in the shopping center, reports the Desert Sun.
Planning Director Pat Milos said the project did conform with the area’s zoning code and met other requirements, like setbacks from Highway 111, residential areas and schools that all cannabis businesses have to observe.
City Attorney Eric Vail said Wednesday the city did not have the ability to deny a business a conditional use permit based on whether they didn’t like that particular use in that particular location. He said they were legally bound to judge the project on whether or not it conformed to city ordinances.
Mayor Stan Henry said he had been opposed to the zoning change opening this area up to cannabis and didn’t personally support the project, but said it met the requirements set out by city cannabis ordinances.
The facility will now be turned into a paint store in the front with the marijuana grow in the back, out of site for any strip mall visitors who are there to grab a Castaneda taco or a beer at the Bart Lounge.
And while the city doesn’t seem to be all that happy with the business opening up in Cathedral City, it should be relieved to have a tenant as big-box stores and shopping malls continue to die off all over America.
