Amends the Amesbury Zoning Ordinances to cap the number of adult-use cannabis retailers in the RMOD at 40% of the city’s alcohol licenses, with a minimum of two licenses. Aims to balance downtown activity with regulated cannabis access.
This ordinance amends the Amesbury Zoning Ordinances to implement a cap on the number of licensed adult-use cannabis retailers operating within the Retail Marijuana Overlay District (RMOD). The cap is set at 40% of the city’s licenses for the sale of alcoholic beverages not to be drunk on the premises, with fractions rounded up to the next whole number and a mandatory minimum of two licenses. The measure is intended to regulate cannabis retail growth while supporting downtown economic activity and alignment with local planning goals. It was developed with input from City Administration, legal counsel, the Chamber of Commerce, the Economic Incentives Committee, and the Office of Community and Economic Development.