>> IN JULY, ADULTS IN.
MASSACHUSETTS, OVER 21, WILL BE ABLE TO BUY RECREATIONAL
MARIJUANA.
POT'S SOON-TO-BE LEGAL STATUS IS CAUSING CONTROVERSY IN MANY
TOWNS AND CITIES WHERE LEADERS ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW
BEST TO ROLL OUT THE BUDDING INDUSTRY IN THEIR AREA.
IN EASTHAMPTON, THE CITY COUNCIL IS REVIEWING THE IDEA OF A 350
FOOT BUFFER ZONE AROUND SCHOOLS.
IN TWO REPORTS CAROLEE MCGRATH LOOKS AT WHY SOME PEOPLE
APPROVE, AND OTHERS DISAPPROVE OF THE IDEA.
TONIGHT CITY COUNCILOR OWEN ZARET WEIGHS IN ON WHY HE THINKS
THE BUFFER ZONE IS FAIR.
>> WHEN THE PLANNING BOARD FIRST CAME FORTH WITH THEIR
RECOMMENDATIONS THEY WERE SUGGESTING 200-FOOT PERIMETER
AROUND SCHOOLS.
WHEN WE STARTED DELIBERATING RECENTLY WITH PUBLIC HEARINGS,
THAT NUMBER STARTED GETTING PUSHED UP A LITTLE BIT MOSTLY
FROM CONCERNS AROUND THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY, NORTHAMPTON IN OUR
COMMUNITY, SO THERE WERE CONCERNS ABOUT, WELL, THE STATE
'S RECOMMENDING 500 FOOT.
SHOULD WE IMPOSE 500 FOOT BUFFER IN OUR CITY.
>> YOU CAME UP WITH 350.
>> NOW, AS WITH ANYTHING THERE'S TWO OR THREE SIDES TO EVERY
CONSIDERATION HERE.
WE FEEL THAT IT'S OUR DUTY AS LEGISLATORS TO FIGURE OUT HOW
THESE NOW LEGAL ENTITIES ARE GOING TO EXIST WITHIN OUR CITY.
SO EXACTLY DOES A BUFFER DO?
WE'RE REALLY NOT SURE.
BUFFERS EXIST -- I TRIED TO DO RESEARCH IT'S UNCLEAR EXACTLY
WHY BUFFERS EXIST AROUND SCHOOLS >> I THINK OBVIOUS QUESTION OR
OBVIOUS ANSWER WOULD BE BECAUSE YOU JUST WANT TO AT LEAST HAVE A
LITTLE BIT OF THAT SPACE BETWEEN KIDS WALKING TO SCHOOL AND
RETAIL SHOP.
I MEAN -- >> I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU.
>> WHY NOT KEEP IT AT 500 IF YOU KNOW THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE PUSH
BACK IN THE COMMUNITY.
BECAUSE YOU COULD ALWAYS REDUCE THAT BUFFER ZONE AT A LATER
POINT, RIGHT?
>> IT'S ABSOLUTELY TRUE.
MY PERSPECTIVE IS THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE BUFFER ZONES YOU
HAVE TO LOOK AT OUR CITY SCAPE.
THE WAY OUR CITY IS SET UP WE HAVE OUR THREE ELEMENTARY
SCHOOLS REALLY DROP RIGHT DOWNTOWN BUSINESS DISTRICT.
SO HOW CAN WE LEGISLATE AND CREATE BUFFER ZONES THAT MAKE
PEOPLE FEEL SAFE.
ULTIMATELY I THINK THAT IS WHAT IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO WHEN YOU
LOOK AT THE SIGNIFICANT RESTRICTIONS AROUND ACCESS TO
THESE BUSINESSES.
HOW CAN WE MAKE PEOPLE FEEL SAFE THAT AT THE SAME TIME ALLOW
BUSINESS TO THRIVE IN THE CITY BECAUSE IF YOU CREATE -- IF YOU
LOOK AT THE 500 BUFFER ZONE, CREATES EFFECTIVE PSEUDOHOE HI
PICKS.
>> BUT EASTHAMPTON HAS OTHER AREAS WHERE THEY CAN OPEN UP I'M
SURE IF SOMEBODY WANTED TO BUY MARIJUANA THEY WOULD BE WILLING
TO DRIVE ANOTHER MILE OR HALF MILE TO THAT SPOT, RIGHT?
>> THAT IS TRUE.
BUT EASTHAMPTON IS A WALKING CITY, WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON OUR
BIKE PATH AND PEDESTRIAN BYWAYS WE'RE COMING UP WITH A COMPLETE
STREETS PROJECT WITH OUR NEW CITY MANAGER WILL TAKE THAT OVER
I THINK THAT PART OF THE CONCERN WHEN WE SAY, WELL, THERE'S OTHER
PLACES WHERE WE CAN -- YOU CAN BUY THIS LEGALLY, WE PERPETUATE
THE STIGMA.
WE SAY WE'RE GOING TO KEEP IT OUT OF DOWNTOWN, PUT IT IN
CERTAIN PLACES LIKE LOT OF PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE MILL BUILD
INGS AND HIGHWAY BUSINESS.
BUT I THINK BY DOING SO AND BY SEQUESTERING THOSE BUSINESSES WE
EFFECTIVELY CREATE A RED LIGHT DISTRICT WHICH IS WHAT WE DON'T
WANT TO DO.
B, WE ONCE AGAIN SAY, IT'S NOT OKAY TO HAVE IT HERE.
WE WANT TO PUT SUBMIT WHERE ELSE >> BUT YOU KIND OF WANT TO HAVE
A LITTLE BIT OF STIGMA FOR KIDS, RIGHT?
TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, DOESN'T REALLY NEED TO BE THAT CLOSE TO
THEM.
OTHER STATES HAVE A THOUSAND FOOT BUFFER ZONE.
AT LEAST THAT WOULD BE STARTING POINT, COULDN'T YOU ALWAYS GO
BACK AND LOOK AT IT?
>> LET ME TAKE A FEW STEPS BACK BECAUSE ONE THING THAT KEEPS
GETTING CONTABULATED WITH THIS IS NO ONE, AND ANY PART OF THIS
DISCUSSION BELIEVES THAT YOUTH SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THIS.
>> RIGHT, MAKE THAT CLEAR.
>> I WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR, TOO.
BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY, WELL, YOU DON'T BELIEVE ABE
BUFFER OR YOU THINK IT SHOULD BE SMALLER THAT MEANS YOU'RE --
OUR CHILDREN ARE GOING TO HAVE ACCESS TO OR EXPOSURE TO THIS.
I SAY, WELL, NO.
I DON'T WANT OUR CHILDREN TO HAVE ACCESS TO THIS.
THESE ARE BUSINESSES THAT ARE 21 AND OLDER THAT ARE GOING TO HAVE
SIGNIFICANT SIGNAGE RESTRICTION, MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN WHAT WE
SEE WITH CIGARETTES AND ALCOHOL.
I DON'T WANT TO INTERMINGLE THE TWO.
BUT IN ORDER TO GET INTO THESE BUSINESSES OR EVEN REALLY KNOW
WHAT THEY ARE, IT'S GOING TO BE PRETTY DIFFICULT.
I THINK THE BIGGEST THING TO COMBAT OUR YOUTH ACCESSING THESE
PLACES IS EDUCATION, NOT NECESSARILY CREATING BUFFERS.
>> IT'S A MIXED MESSAGE FOR A LOT OF KIDS.
BUT THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE LITIGATE HERE BECAUSE IT'S LEGAL
IN MASSACHUSETTS, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT LOT OF PEOPLE
HAVE SAID, OKAY, NOW WE'RE GOING TO DO EDUCATION PROGRAMS BUT
WE'RE KIND OF GIVING THE PERCEPTION THAT IT'S OKAY.
WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP?
THE STATE IS MEETING MARCH 15th OR RELEASE REGULATION
MARCH 15.
>> CAMPUS CONTROL COMMISSION PUT OFF THE WHOLE DISDISCUSSION WITH
SOCIAL CONSUMPTION.
MARCH 15 THEY COME UP WITH THE FINAL REGULATION.
AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW EASTHAMPTON, THE PLANNING BOARD
HAS AGREED, I'LL GIVE YOU THE MAIN OUTLINE POINTS.
3450 FOOT BUFFER AROUND SCHOOLS.
TOTAL OF NINE RETAIL FACILITIES GOING INTO 2020.
STARTING WITH FOUR WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.
THEN OBVIOUSLY, MORE THAN JUST HOW MANY AND HOW FAR FROM
SCHOOLS, YOU HAVE ISSUES AROUND SIGNAGE, I THINK WE HAVE TO TALK
ABOUT ENFORCEMENT.
SO MARCH 2015 THE COMMISSION COMES OUT WITH FINAL REGULATION
THEN ORDINANCE SUBCOMMITTEE WILL NEAT AGAIN, REVIEW PLANNING
BOARDS -- WHAT THE NUMBERS THAT THEY PUT FORTH AND -- IN THEIR
RECOMMENDED ORDINANCE.
TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHAT THE STATE HAS FINALIZED AND THEN PUT
THAT TOGETHER, VOTE ON IT THEN BRING IT TO THE FULL CITY
COUNCIL WHO WILL THEN VOTE ON THE ORDINANCE.
>> A LOT OF WORK AHEAD.
I NO A LOT OF COMMUNITIES IN MASSACHUSETTS ARE GOING THROUGH
THE SAME THINGS AND CONSIDERING THE SAME THINGS THAT YOU GUYS
ARE AS WELL.
>> IT IS.
IT'S REALLY TOUGH, AS A PARENT AND AS A LEGISLATOR THERE ARE
SOME MIXED SIGNALS HERE I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU.
IT'S TOUGH TO TAKE SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN FOR ENTIRE EXISTENCE
PRETTY MUCH EXISTED PURELY UNDER PROHIBITION, WITH THE FLIP OF
LIGHT SWITCH IT'S NOW COMPLETELY LEGAL.
IS IT FAIR FOR US TO SAY, WELL, YOU HAVE ALL THESE PERCEPTIONS
AROUND IT AND STIGMA YOU SHOULDN'T FEEL THAT ANY MORE,
IT'S TOTALLY NORMAL, NO.
THAT'S THE BIGGEST TRICK IS LIKE , YOU CAN'T LEGISLATE THAT.
RIGHT?
THAT'S WHERE THE WHOLE EDUCATIONAL PIECE COMES IN.
WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ULTIMATELY MAKE PEOPLE FEEL
COMFORTABLE.
GOING TO TAKE A LONG TIME.
>> TOMORROW WE'LL HEAR FROM AN EASTHAMPTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE
MEMBER WHO FEELS THE PROPOSED BUFFER ZONE ISN'T BIG ENOUGH.