County reviews application for conditional use permit to open store
By Marcy Stamper
Okanogan County is reviewing a proposal for a marijuana retail store adjacent to the Carlton General Store.
Endicott Enterprises of Winlock, Washington, has submitted an application to the county for a conditional-use permit to open Carlton Cannabis, a 400-square-foot store that would also have a medical authorization.
Carlton Cannabis would share the building that currently houses the Carlton Store. Plans call for the addition of two interior walls to separate the businesses, as required by state law, but there would be no external renovations. The store operators would add approximately 13 security cameras, an alarm and new signs to comply with the law.
Okanogan County’s recently adopted zoning code requires a conditional-use permit for new cannabis businesses. Conditional-use permits provide an opportunity for public input and may place conditions on how a business operates or on the physical set-up.
According to the environmental checklist submitted by Kevin Heiderich, the agent for Endicott Enterprises, the operators anticipate fewer than 40 daily vehicle trips on average, with peak volume between 4 and 6 p.m.
Endicott Enterprises applied for a retail license in December 2015 and expects the license to be issued by Nov. 15, according to the application.
Okanogan County already has three marijuana retail stores. The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board has increased the cap on stores, allotting three more at large to Okanogan County, for a maximum of seven, according to Mikhail Carpenter, a spokesperson for the board. The board has allocated an additional store to Omak, which would bring the total to eight, but Omak has banned marijuana operations.
The board is issuing new licenses as applicants complete all the requirements, said Carpenter.
The Okanogan County planning director has determined that Carlton Cannabis would not have an adverse impact on the environment.
People may comment on both the county’s environmental determination and on the proposed store itself. Comments on the environmental review must be submitted in writing by Wednesday (Nov. 2).
The county has not set a date for the public hearing on the store yet. Comments on the store may be submitted in writing up to the hearing or be presented at the hearing.
To comment or for more information, contact Pam Wyllson in the planning department at (509) 422-7122 or pwyllson@co.okanogan.wa.us.
