Springfield City Council has approved a bill that designates where recreational marijuana facilities can be located in the city and allows for the sale of the product.
The bill requires any new facility to be located at least 1000 feet from elementary and secondary schools and 200 feet from child day care centers and churches in Springfield — the same as for the city's 11 licensed medical marijuana dispensaries.
During discussion of the bill Tuesday, city councilman Craig Hosmer pushed for requiring recreational marijuana dispensaries to be at least 1000 feet from child day care centers and churches.
"I don't understand why we're so hell bent on having a marijuana facility everywhere that we can get them in the city of Springfield," Hosmer said.
Councilman Matthew Simpson argued requiring 1000 feet from day cares and churches would greatly limit where recreational dispensaries could locate.
"Based on the number of churches and day cares that we have in the city, if you do 1000 feet from all three, it basically means that dispensaries could only be built in PIC (Partnership Industrial Center) East, PIC West or the wastewater treatment plant to the southwest of the city," said Simpson.
In the end, the bill was approved with only Hosmer voting no.
