We received the following press release from the Committee to Elect Jake Davenport. Davenport is running for Lowell City Council on the November ballot. We welcome anyone to submit letters to the editor about issues pertaining to the community. All opinions stated in letters to the editor and guest columns are those of the author and should not be construed as an endorsement by Lowell’s First Look.
(Lowell, Michigan, August 5th, 2021)– The Committee to elect Jake Davenport released the following Statement regarding Candidate Jake Davenport’s concerns over the Number of Marijuana Businesses in town:
“Lowell has gone from the next place to be to the next place to be high. To be very clear, I am a strong proponent of Laissez faire economics, but when is enough, enough? We have close a dozen recreational cannabis facilities built, under construction, or in the approval process. The excuse we keep receiving about the marijuana ordnance and its lack of a dispensary limits is that the drafters of the ordnance tried to prevent lawsuits. I do not view that as a valid excuse, and it is simply that, an excuse.
Why did no one issue a study to understand the city’s capacity? Why wasn’t the zoning for marijuana shops made stricter, and require a larger buffer to help limit the number of dispensaries and keep them away from residential areas? Why was this ordnance put into place with a lack of foresight for all the potential consequences of no number limits?
Even with a 60%-40% passage of the 2018 Marijuana legalization proposal in the city, many folks who voted in favor of the proposal do not want our community to move in this direction. Moving forward, we must confront our problems with foresight, not short sightedness. Short sightedness is what resulted in the biodigester incident, it’s what resulted in our infrastructure mess, and it what is resulting in Lowell becoming the pot capitol of West Michigan. I am determined to end short sighted decisions once I am elected. We rob our children of their future every time we repeat this mistake. I will not let this happen.”
First, as a disclaimer – I am not on the ballot this fall. My vote total kept me on the Council for 4 years, so I am not replying in an effort to garner votes.
That said, I would like to respond on two counts. First, if you think trying to limit lawsuits is “just an excuse”, I would encourage you to spend some time researching lawsuits in Michigan leveled against municipalities who attempted to disallow and/or limit recreational marijuana facilities. Detroit, Mt. Pleasant, Warren, Grand Rapids – the list is long. Our City Attorney is working with us to avoid costly lawsuits. (Imagine a lawyer actually wanting us to NOT have to hire her to defend us.) There is a lot of money behind the marijuana business in Michigan and they have money to spend on lawyers. Last Monday I spoke with our City Attorney at some length about this very subject. She read me a portion of the law regarding recreational marijuana and told me that is was, in her opinion, worded in such a way that is was an invitation for lawsuits by any municipality trying to limit facilities outright or using some kind of lottery system or other method to pick and choose. Her opinion is supported by the number of lawsuits pending in Michigan. Frankly, I want to save the City’s money in order to address more pressing needs in Lowell like pension costs and roads rather than spend it on our City Attorney. I would also encourage you to examine how much lawsuits cost the City in the last couple of years. Not something I want to repeat.
Secondly, how can one be in favor of letting the free market decide and also want to limit the free market? We have several hair salons, pizza parlors, and auto parts stores in Lowell. Should we try to limit them? For that matter, we have many establishments that either serve and/or sell alcohol, another legal substance available to adults. There are at least 8 places serving with another half dozen or so selling alcohol and we have two restaurants in the works that will want to sell alcohol. Should we limit them?
Do I want 12 pot shops in Lowell. No. Do I think the market can sustain anywhere near that amount? No. Frankly, I don’t think we will see nearly that many actually open their doors – you mention 12 – but some of them are grow operations (no retail) some of them have not even been approved by the State and may never be and at least one of them failed to show up to get approval from the Zoning Commission.
As of right now, we have seen our tax base raised and several new and or renovated buildings show up on Main Street. They employ local people, bring folks to Lowell and pay property tax and sales tax to that State. In my opinion, these are good things for Lowell and Michigan.
Cliff Yankovich
Lowell City Council