Virtual Oxford
Village meeting to receive public input

By James Hanlon
Leader Staff Writer
Oxford Village Council will hold a virtual town hall on its proposed marijuana ordinance next Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 7p.m.
The purpose of the town hall is for the council to receive public input on the latest version of the proposed ordinance that would allow and regulate adult use recreational marijuana businesses in the industrial zoning district along S. Glaspie St. and Industrial Drive.
Village President Kelsey Cooke encourages “anyone, particularly who is a village resident, who has an opinion on this, whether licenses for adult use marijuana businesses should be allowed or not in the village, to fill out that comment form or attend the town hall. Ask questions, get answers . . . council wants to hear from you.”
Cooke stressed the ordinance would allow recreational businesses – not medical, which is under a different law and statute.
The ordinance provides a licensing process for applicants who are approved by the State of Michigan to then apply at the village office for a license. The six types of licenses are: marijuana grower, processor, secure transporter, safety compliance facility, retailer and microbusiness.
“We can’t say for sure what types of businesses will go in there, but those are the different types of licenses we’re considering,” Cooke said.
Facilities are prohibited within 500-foot buffer zones around public parks, childcare facilities and schools.
The ordinance has been under development for two years since recreational marijuana was legalized in Michigan 2018. Since then, drafts have gone back and forth between the planning commission, village council and village attorney Bob Davis.
The latest draft has simplified the license application process. “Other communities have used an extensive scored application based on various factors and it has gotten them into legal trouble with a ‘race to the counter’ or subjective selections,” Cooke explained. “The Village’s proposed ordinance is very simple and straightforward.”
Davis has been complimentary of the planning commission’s work on the ordinance. “The deliberate nature of how the village has gone about this has served the village very well. We’ve had some time to watch these ordinances around the state mature and we’ve had some time to monitor and watch litigation involving ordinances of this type so we could make minor changes and draft around those types of issues that are being raised in the court system.”
A temporary prohibition of marijuana establishments expires April 30. The council hopes to have everything worked out before then to avoid another extension.
The council has three options: either pass the ordinance, specifically opt out by enacting another ordinance prohibiting marijuana establishments, otherwise it will automatically be allowed, unregulated by the village.
“That’s why we need to make that decision,” Cooke said. “Do we opt out, do we do nothing and it’s just allowed, or do we regulate it where we’re allowing it, but under specific conditions.”
Folks can read the full text of the proposed ordinance and review the Permitted Parcel map on the homepage of the village website, thevillageofoxford.org. Here, folks can also find a link to the Zoom meeting.
If you do not wish to participate electronically via Zoom, but would still like your voice to be heard, please email comments to clerk@thevillageofoxford.org. For additional accommodations please call 248-628-2543.
The village anticipates a higher than normal volume of public comments during the public hearing. In an effort to streamline the process, they request that those interested in making public comment or have a question, fill out a request to comment form on the website. The form is not required, however doing so will assist in managing the volume of participants in an orderly fashion.