Publisher's note: Planning. Zoning. Something all dispensary owners should best understand, quickly.
After reviewing 58 applications in four weeks, the city of Aurora in Colorado awarded 21 dispensary licenses, and although marijuana retail stores were officially permitted to open on October 1, none of them launched. That’s because approved applicants must now complete the planning and zoning process, which could include amendments to site plans, redevelopment plans or a full development application for ground-up construction.
“Approval by the building division varies widely depending on the scope of the project and the responsiveness of the licensed dispensary’s design professionals,” said Julie Patterson, senior public information officer with the City of Aurora. “We expect a few of the businesses will open this month.”
