Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By TOM LAVENTURE
Ironwood — The first of 16 applicants seeking various commercial permits to operate adult-use marijuana growing, manufacturing, retail, inspection and transportation licenses was held March 4.
The planning commission heard a presentation of the marijuana microbusiness application of Three Twins Cultivators, by project partners, Joshua Norman, Ben Thompson and Benji Fisher. The three plan to build a growing and processing operation for 150 plants, with a separate onsite retail dispensary at 138 West Ayer St.
“This is the final piece for them to complete their application,” said Tom Bergman, director of city development.
The commissioners also asked questions that could result in additional requirements with the conditional use permit. The site plan and conditional use permit are now on the April 1 planning commission agenda where a recommendation to move the application forward to the competitive phase will be considered.
Three Twins Cultivators have completed the application process and the city has reviewed the project in accordance with the city’s zoning ordinance and adult-use marijuana ordinance. The facility qualified as a micro-business application to grow and process marijuana for the purpose of on-site retail sale.
The city’s micro-business license does not allow outside products to be sold or processed at the facility, he said. The license also forbids products of the business to be sold or transported outside the facility.
The facility would be built on a vacant lot at the corner of Ayer Street and Lawrence Street. The facility faces Ayer Street to the south and the trail motorized Trail 2 to the north.
Thompson is an Ironwood resident who said he has updated older commercial buildings. He said the marijuana project is solid in combining the skills of three life-long friends, to include his own in business operations. Fisher as a grower with 20 years of experience in founding a business now worth millions in Colorado, and Norman as a Minneapolis-based commercial and residential architect.
“I trust them and we have a good working relationship,” Thompson said. “We have been talking about this (project) for the past nine months.”
In his design work, Norman said he wanted to create something consistent with the “Find Your North” aesthetic as the location is right off the Iron Belle Trail. The structure will not have an industrial look and initial designs incorporate the property setback with city property from Lawrence Street as a public space that comes off the trail with bike racks, snowmobile parking, benches and tables.
Stephanie Holloway, planning commission vice chair, questioned the space as potentially being used for on-site recreational use of the products. Norman said he was acting on city recommendations to provide benches and that the intended purpose was to be consistent with surroundings, but that the project was not dependent on the idea.
Concerns regarding snow removal came from a resident who called during the public portion, along with Sam Davey, commission chair, and Mark Silver, commissioner. They felt the 10-by-17-foot dedicated space for snow removal would not be adequate, especially with a flat roof that would need to be cleared as well.
Norman said the square footage exceeds the requirements. Equipment will not be placed on the roof in anticipation of snow and he will work with a Michigan architect to ensure the space is adequate for the Upper Peninsula.
An Ayer Street resident addressed concerns for the potential odor and noise pollution from the facility. He wanted assurances that the city would act if there were violations after the permits were approved.
Bergman said the city revised its nuisance ordinance to address odor and sound levels. The permits also require steps to mitigate the potential along with the state regulations on such facilities, he said.
The caller also questioned the location of the facility in relation to the residential neighborhood.
Bergman said the ordinance was revised to expand exclusionary zones including the core downtown and residential areas, schools and libraries. The facility is outside of these buffer zones and meets the terms of the setback requirement for a marijuana establishment, according to the adult-use ordinance and the city zoning ordinance.
Norman said the odor issues in Ironwood stem from medical and recreational growers venting to reduce the amount of heat and increase the level of carbon dioxide in the growing rooms. The commercial facility will use C02 canisters, and heating and ventilation systems that reuse air within the facility and filter any air exiting the growing rooms to include internal rooms of the facility.
As for noise, he said the only outdoor noise would be from compressors which make about as much noise as air conditioners.
Answering questions regarding operating hours, Thompson said the growing operation would be business hours, and the retail hours would be determined by demand, but would fall well within the limits of 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
He said the business would not attempt to operate or compete as a volume-based facility because it cannot. The business plan is to produce a specialty product under the guidance of Fisher and operate more as a mom-and-pop-type business that does not focus on volume, he said.
“We can only win with what we do, and that is to be great and create value based on something that is not mass produced,” Thompson said.
More applications
There will be two adult-use applications for retail and growing licenses heard at the March 18 planning commission hearing, Bergman said. Public notices were sent out to neighboring businesses and residents.
The applications underwent an initial review by city staff to determine eligibility and completeness before the city planning commission review and public hearing process. The ordinance allows two licenses each for marijuana micro-business, retailers, processors and each class of growers, safety compliance facilities, and secure transporters. Designated consumption establishments, marijuana event organizer licenses, and temporary event licenses are prohibited under the ordinance.
The Ironwood City Commission approved the city’s adult use marijuana ordinance on a 3-2 vote in September after several revisions. The approval capped a three-year process that involved community and businesses in drafting the ordinance following workshops and public hearings.
In other business, the planning commission 7-0 approved recommendation of an amended city zoning ordinance regarding conditional uses in the C-2 (downtown commercial, C-3 (highway commercial, and I-1 (industrial) districts. The amendment brings the zoning ordinance in compliance without conflict with the adult-use marijuana ordinance approved by the city commission in 2020.
The city commission approved the zoning amendment at its Monday meeting.
