It is the intent and purpose of this article to protect the
public safety, health, and general welfare of the community from negative
quality of life impacts, including but not limited to increased noise,
offensive odors, and public safety issues (e.g., violent crime), to
discourage the growth of illegal resale markets, and to promote the
protection of minors by regulating, in a manner that is not unreasonably
impracticable, the establishment of nonmedical marijuana establishments
(hereafter "marijuana establishments"), as defined below, and which
term shall not include medical marijuana treatment centers, as follows:
(a) Establish specific zoning standards and regulations for marijuana
establishments as defined below;
(b) Protect the public health, safety and welfare of Waltham residents;
(c) Regulate the siting, design, placement, safety, monitoring, modification,
and removal of marijuana establishments; and
(d) Minimize the adverse impacts of marijuana establishments on adjacent
properties, residential neighborhoods, schools and other places where
children congregate, local historic districts, and other land uses
potentially incompatible with said facilities.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
12.21. MARIJUANA ESTABLISHMENT — A marijuana cultivator, independent testing laboratory, marijuana product manufacturer, marijuana retailer or any other type of licensed marijuana-related business, as those terms are defined in G.L.M. Chapter 94G, as it may be amended from time to time, but excluding from said definition medical marijuana treatment centers, production areas within such centers, and medical marijuana cultivation operations as defined in Chapter 369 of the Acts of 2012 and as controlled by Article
XI of this Zoning Ordinance.
12.22. CONSUMER — A person who is at least 21 years of age.
12.23. HEMP — The plant of the genus Cannabis or any part of the plant,
whether growing or not, with a delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol concentration
that does not exceed 0.3% on a dry weight basis of any part of the
plant of the genus Cannabis, or per volume or weight of marijuana
product, or the combined percent of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and
tetrahydrocannabinolic acid in any part of the plant of the genus
Cannabis regardless of moisture content.
12.24. HOST COMMUNITY AGREEMENT — The agreement that must be executed
by and between the intended owner/operator of each marijuana establishment
and/or each medical marijuana treatment center with the City of Waltham
prior to the issuance of a license, from the state's Cannabis Control
Commission or Massachusetts Department of Public Health, whichever
is applicable, and covering, at a minimum, the topics identified in
G.L.M. Chapter 94G, Section 3(d).
12.25. MARIJUANA — All parts of any plant of the genus Cannabis, not
excepted below and whether growing or not; the seeds thereof; and
resin extracted from any part of the plant; and every compound, manufacture,
salt, derivative, mixture or preparation of the plant, its seeds or
resin including tetrahydrocannabinol as defined in G.L.M., Chapter
94C, Section 1; provided, however, that "marijuana" shall not include:
(i) the mature stalks of the plant, fiber produced from the stalks,
oil, or cake made from the seeds of the plant, any other compound,
manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture or preparation of the mature
stalks, fiber, oil or cake made from the seeds of the plant or the
sterilized seed of the plant that is incapable of germination; (ii)
hemp; or (iii) the weight of any other ingredient combined with marijuana
to prepare topical or oral administrations, food, drink or other products.
12.26. MARIJUANA PRODUCTS — Products that have been manufactured and contain marijuana or an extract from marijuana, including concentrated forms of marijuana and products composed of marijuana and other ingredients that are intended for use or consumption, including edible products, beverages, topical products, ointments, oils and tinctures, but excluding all such items that are subject to the provisions of Article
XI of this Zoning Ordinance.
12.27. UNREASONABLY IMPRACTICABLE — This term shall mean that the
measures necessary to comply with this Zoning Ordinance article and
any conditions imposed pursuant to a special permit granted hereunder
shall not subject licensees under G.L.M. Chapter 94G to unreasonable
risk or require such a high investment of risk, money, time or any
other resource or asset that a reasonably prudent businessperson would
not operate a marijuana establishment.
12.28. All other definitions contained in G.L.M. Chapter 94G, Section 1,
shall apply to this article of the Zoning Ordinance.
For all purposes pursuant to this article, the Waltham City
Council is hereby designated as the special permit granting authority.
All special permit applications made pursuant to this article shall
conform to the standards and criteria and procedural provisions as
required by the Rules of the Waltham City Council and the zoning ordinances
of the City of Waltham, including but not limited to the provisions
of Section 3.5.
In addition to the requirements contained in Section 3.5 and
the Rules of the City Council, an applicant for a special permit shall
be required to provide the following:
(a) Copies of any provisional licenses issued to the applicant by the
Cannabis Control Commission and any other licenses and/or permits
issued by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and any of its agencies
for the operation of the facility;
(b) Evidence of the applicant's right to use the site of the proposed
facility, such as a deed or lease;
(c) If the applicant is a business organization, a statement under oath
disclosing all of its owners, shareholders, partners, members, managers,
directors, officers, or other similarly situated individuals and entities
and their addresses. If any of the above are entities rather than
persons, the applicant must disclose the identity of the owners of
such entities until the disclosure contains the names of individuals;
(d) Plans for all proposed security measures for the facility, including
lighting, fencing, gates, cameras, alarm systems, security monitoring,
and on-site security personnel, to ensure the safety of persons and
to protect the premises from theft;
(e) Plans for all proposed ventilation and air cleaning installations,
including technical specifications for the equipment to be used; and
(f) A copy of the emergency response plan filed by the applicant with
the Fire and Police Departments.
In addition to the specific criteria contained within this article,
the City Council shall consider the following criteria, where it deems
relevant, before issuing a special permit for the operation of a marijuana
establishment:
(a) Compliance with all requirements of 935 CMR 500.001 et seq.;
(b) Adequacy of the site in terms of the size of the proposed use(s);
(c) Suitability of the site for the proposed use(s);
(d) Suitability of the security to be provided for the proposed use(s);
(e) Impact on traffic and safety;
(f) Impact on the visual character and security of the surrounding neighborhood;
(h) Adequacy of utilities, including sewage disposal, water supply and
stormwater drainage.
Any marijuana establishment permitted under this article shall
provide one space for each 400 gross square feet of floor area used
for sale, dispensing and processing and one space for each 2,000 gross
square feet of floor area used for cultivation. All parking areas
shall be designed and built according to the standards contained in
Sections 5.4 to 5.48.
Commercial cultivation of marijuana for recreational purposes
by any person, entity or marijuana establishment in any location other
than where specifically authorized by special permit granted under
this article shall be disallowed.
A marijuana establishment shall be designed and constructed
in accordance with the underlying zoning district and the requirements
of all applicable provisions of the zoning ordinances of the City
of Waltham.
Special permits granted under this article shall be valid for
three years, provided that the permit holder is in compliance with
the provisions of the special permit and with Section 3.55 of the
Zoning Ordinance. All special permits granted under this article shall
be issued to the applicant and shall terminate automatically upon
transfer of the land, building and/or lease or sublease of the land
and/or building where it is located or the sale of the operation to
another person and/or entity.
Any person aggrieved by a decision of the City Council under
this section may appeal to the Superior Court, the Land Court or the
District Court pursuant to Chapter 40A of the Massachusetts General
Laws.
If any provision of the article or the application of any such
provision to any person or circumstance shall be held invalid, the
remainder of this article, to the extent it can be given effect, or
the application of those provisions to persons or circumstances other
than those to which it is held invalid, shall not be affected thereby,
and to this end the provisions of the article are severable.