Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
PAT COLEMAN, of North of 45, briefs the planning commission Wednesday regarding the proposed Master Plan which is about 90 percent complete. Coleman went chapter by chapter explaining the different topics and the commission jumped in when they had a desire to interrupt. The commission vociferously spoke against changing US 2 from a four lane highway to a 3 lane with a center lane for turning, which led to some back and forth between Coleman and the commission on what is the best method of traffic control, city beauty, and safety of drivers and residents and neither side agreed.
By IAN MINIELLY
Bessemer - A two hour planning commission meeting in the council's chambers in Bessemer resulted in the sending to city council three separate recommendations for the council to act on. The commission agreed to send the Bessemer Master Plan, Downtown Development Authority plan and the medical marijuana ordinances to council for action.
Patrick Coleman, from North of 45, briefed the commission on the current standing of the Master Plan draft, which sits at approximately 90 percent complete. What is not done is the 63 day comment period once council recommends the plan be disseminated and ready for review by the residents. The other 10 percent of the plan will be completed after residents have had their opportunity to comment and make suggestions.
The DDA plan expires in December. If the current plan were to expire and the city of Bessemer not operate with a functioning DDA, the city would stand to lose a lot of external funding the city relies on for operations, according to city manager Charly Loper. With the acceptance of the proposed plan by the commission, the new plan goes back to council so they can vote on whether to submit the updated DDA plan for a 30 day review by the residents.
Loper said she will get the two plans out to the residents once approved for release by the council as quickly as possibly so residents can review and make suggestions on both.
The third rail of Bessemer politics for the last half year has been the Medical Marihuana Facilities Act, which authorizes large scale production and processing of marijuana. At the prior planning commission meeting the commission voted sending to council their recommendation to allow large scale production in the M1 and M2 industrial area west of Bessemer. When Loper began discussing ordinances with the city council after that recommendation, a disagreement arose about why the council is discussing ordinances which have not been approved and recommended by the planning commission.
Wednesday the planning commission reviewed the proposed ordinances and agreed to recommend the city council allow medical marijuana be grown, processed, shipped, tested and sold in the industrial park. Bill McDonald held firm to a 300-foot buffer, which would be consistent with current law, for any marijuana-related facility from schools, zoned residential structures or churches much like taverns.
The commission agreed with the 300-foot buffer and the ordinances are being sent back to the council for approval at the next city council meeting scheduled for next Monday on July 17. The reality of the restrictions, and small size of Bessemer's industrial zones, effectively limits future marijuana facilities to between the current Rich Duncanson facility and Koski's Collision property in the Bessemer industrial park. It is possible maybe one or two more businesses could be opened, but that would be it, primarily because of the 300-foot restriction and the zoned residences near the industrial zone.
