PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Tommy Harrington is a dad and a board member with the Piedmont Neighborhood Association. There’s a coffee shop near Peninsula Park and the owner wants to split her shop into two, he said.
One part coffee shop, one part pot shop.
“We were sent an email saying the owner of AJ Java wanted to convert half her business into a marijuana dispensary and asked for us to sign off on it,” Harrington told KOIN 6 News.
The City of Portland said there’s been no official application submitted from the business owner, but neighbors believe it’s coming. The families in the area of 6425 North Albina aren’t thrilled.
“Who’s to say that somebody wouldn’t buy marijuana there and then sell it in the park to minors?” Harrington said.
The State of Oregon requires marijuana dispensaries to be at least 1000 feet from schools. But the City of Portland does not require a buffer for parks or playgrounds.
“When you look at Penisula Park there’s a daycare center, there’s a community center , there’s a pool with swim lessons , there’s after school programs, there’s sports programs in the park,” Harrington said. “It may not technically be a school but it is a school. It’s everything but.”
Victor Salinas, the city’s marijuana policy program coordinator, said there’s a reason there’s no buffer for parks.
The reason is “to spread the businesses throughout the city and not have them concentrated in one part of town, like East Portland, that has a lack of playgrounds and other amenities for families and communities,” Salinas said.
He said businesses are required to produce a marijuana control plan which functions like a good neighbor agreement.
Salinas said the city’s policy “is going to be evolving” as more becomes known about how these shops impact the area.
At this time, neighbors have no say over where dispensary or recreational retailers can operate. But the city is also accepting applications for its marijuana policy task force, which would give residents the ability “to voice concerns, voice recommendations and to provide input to City Council.”
The owner of AJ Java has not responded to KOIN 6 News seeking comment on this matter.
The neighborhood association will address the issue at a community meeting Thursday night.