New Camp Verde Zoning Law Relocates Marijuana Grows and Dispensaries

A newly passed zoning ordinance by Camp Verde officials will force certain marijuana businesses to relocate. Most Camp Verde cultivation facilities currently operating are in C3 heavy commercial zones. The new ordinance requires them all to be moved to M1 and M2 industrially zoned areas.

The new ordinance begins on June 23, and the four marijuana cultivation facilities in C3 zones will be affected, The Verde Independent reports. The ordinance is said to be in an effort to “preserve highway commercial parcels for development.”

Carmen Howard, Camp Verde Community Development Director, said, “C3 zoning is along the 260 corridor that ADOT just put millions of dollars into fixing up for commercial development. While we do have large parcels available, we aren’t getting any more land and there’s been a lot of desire from developers – both residential and commercial – to build along that corridor.”

A report states that the “security factors relating to medical marijuana cultivation would not be compatible with the mixed-use and could prevent following up with this land use preference. The 260 East Character Area does indicate ‘quasi-industrial users’ in their implantation strategy; there are M1-zoned properties available for this use.” It continues saying that “C3 zoning districts are more appropriate for businesses that need highway visibility to generate clientele and easier access to their sites, and for those that will generate revenue for the town to provide needed services and contribute to the workforce.”

Camp Verde isn’t receiving any revenue from cultivators and they’re not mass-employers, so it’s no longer seen as necessary for them to remain in the C3 zoned areas.

If dispensaries do open up in Camp Verde, they will be permitted in the C3 areas. Dispensaries were permitted in C2 zones, but the new ordinance has changed their potential locations as well.

Regarding recreational marijuana, the report says, “With the potential for future recreational marijuana use allowed in Arizona, [C2] use is not compatible with the general shopping/service and mixed-use nature of the district. Staff believes that it would be beneficial for the future of Main Street and for developments of a desirable walkable shopping/dining entertainment to be proactive and remove this use from the C2 zoning district.”