Medical pot is knotted; LA Bakery expansion set

A recommendation was made Wednesday to impose a moratorium on premature local rules regarding medical marijuana, and a permit was approved to allow more parking as part of an LA Bakery expansion.

Carson City’s Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend to the Board of Supervisors that city government have a 180-day moratorium, with the possibility of a 60-day extension, on any ordinance dealing with the state medical marijuana law. It was a routine recommendation that the board and District Attorney Neil Rombardo invited because state regulations still are being drafted.

“We need to digest the (state) regulations,” Joe Ward, deputy district attorney, told commission members. He and Lee Plemel, community-development director, said the target date for those state regulations on Senate Bill 374 of the 2013 session is April 1. After that, Carson City can decide what to do regarding dispensaries, grow facilities and regulations regarding them if they are allowed.

Plemel noted that Carson City isn’t the only local jurisdiction in Nevada awaiting the state’s action before proceeding with its own oversight decisions.

Issues involved could include zoning and others to deal with the law that gives localities leeway on whether and how to provide medical marijuana commerce to proceed.

The commission also voted unanimously to allow LA Bakery, at 220 W. John St., to lease and provide customers seven off-site parking spaces in the lot west behind the commercial building at 1202 N. Carson St. and 110 feet from the bakery business. The bakery has just three parking spots and so can accommodate about a dozen patrons, but plans to add seating for 24 more.

Susan Dorr Pansky, the city’s principal planner, said the special-use permit request hadn’t sparked comments for or against from the public.

Alireza Arbabha of LA Bakery thanked the commission for his permit after saying lack of adequate parking has been his only problem at the bakery and restaurant site. An additional 532 square feet of space will handle the new seating planned for patrons, he said.