Medical pot permits clear Carson City commission hurdle

Four medical marijuana establishments and Carson City’s proposed animal shelter cleared key hurdles Wednesday, but the medical pot places still face a need for state approval.

The city’s Planning Commission voted for special use permits for a cultivation facility and three dispensaries, as well as the animal shelter, but the fate for those medical pot spots rests with the state. Nevada’s government has yet to announce which applicants statewide pass muster at that level. Each of the city special use permits for the four medical marijuana locations is provisional because of the state. In addition, state law allows only two dispensaries in the capital city, so that and the fact there are other applicants coming to the city could stand in the way.

But the commission’s action at least cleared up the permit question for dispensaries planned by WSCC, Inc., NNV Services II, LLC, and NNV Services III, LLC, who applied for spots at different locations.

The WSCC, Inc. dispensary, if it clears all hurdles, would be in an existing 2,450 square foot building at 2765 U.S. Hwy 50 East in Suite A. The two for the NNV Services firms would be in an existing 1915 square foot building at 3350 U.S. Hwy 50 East and in a new 2,026 square foot building to be built on vacant land at 211 W. Appion Way.

The WSCC firm also won permit approval for a cultivation facility in an existing 10,150 square foot building at 3493 Arrowhead Dr. The cultivation facility was given the permit on a commission tally without a dissenting vote.

On the WSCC dispensary application, however, Victor Castro abstained because he didn’t feel the location was appropriate.

On the NNV Services dispensary applications, Castro and Walt Owens cast dissenting votes, citing either location and security issues or the lack of due diligence on the Appion Way proposal because a lone dissenting neighbor hadn’t been contacted by the applicant. So those NNV Services votes were 4-2.

Community Development Director Lee Plemel said the medical pot permits give the go ahead unless the state stands in the way or someone appeals any of the commission decisions. Appeals would have to come in 10 days. The Board of Supervisors would be required to review the application or applications in the appeal process.

For the animal shelter, the planned $3.9 million facility will be a 10,995 square foot building to handle up to 134 dogs, 104 cats and seven exotic animals. It will go in city government’s corporate yard with an address at 549 Airport Road. The applicant was the city’s Public Works Department and approval, though routine, was watched by City Manager Nick Marano and Robb Fellows of Public Works, the project budget manager.