City approves cannabis dispensary conditional use permit, variance

The Tea City Council met Jan. 17 and reviewed the conditional use permit for a medical cannabis dispensary at 2015 Merchant Street.

Planning and zoning administrator Kevin Nissen said Pure Bliss Cannabis LLC, owned by Kasey Hahn, was the first ball drawn in the drawing for licenses. The location is located in the Bakker Landing planned development district.

Hahn reviewed his plan for the building and security. The outside will be fully lit. They will have a minimum of 38 cameras covering the exterior and interior. Key card entry is needed for each room. Security guards will be on site from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

After no public comments, the council approved the conditional use permit (CUP).

The Tea Tree, owned by Pamela Javers, was the second ball drawn. The medical cannabis dispensary is located at 115 E. Lipton Street, which is within 500 feet of a church and preschool so they applied for a variance.

The council discussed whether or not to approve the variance at length.

Councilmen Casey Voelker and Jim Erck voted against granting the variance because they had just set up the rules a few weeks ago. Councilmen Sid Munson, Joe Weis and Terry Woessner voted for the variance because they had followed all of the steps of the application and the business was located on the opposite end of the property line from the church. The variance was approved and the business will have to go through the conditional use permitting process next.

The council approved the conditional use permit for an in-home daycare at 401 E. Mary Moore Drive, owned Shelby Rieger.

They approved the plat for Lots 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, block 8 in Heritage Addition. They also approved the pay application for the Tea Law Enforcement Center from Visions Construction Group for $46,350.