WOOLWICH TWP. – On Nov. 18, the Woolwich Township Committee approved on final reading an ordinance 5-0 adding a Class 2 manufacturers designation to their original Cannabis Ordinance. The change also clarifies and establishes parameters for indoor cultivation.
The township has established that three cannabis licenses will be available for Class 1 cultivators, and three for Class 2 manufacturers. One entity can hold both types of licenses, but they must be applied for separately.
Manufacturers are involved in the preparation and packaging of cannabis items. This ordinance does not include retail operations.
The township has designated the 5A zoned area for Class 1 and Class 2 operations. This zone is in various locations around the township.
According to the ordinance, cannabis cultivation cannot be done on farmland preserved ground. The acreage required for outdoor cannabis production is a minimum of 60 acres. Acreage required for indoor cultivation is a minimum of 17 acres in a building no larger than 15,000 square feet.
Both indoor and outdoor facilities must have 24 hour video surveillance and security alarm systems.
“Allowing cannabis cultivation or manufacturing enables the municipality to uphold its agricultural heritage, repurpose existing farm buildings, limit additional housing developments, and generate revenue,” stated Matthias.
According to Matthias, two entities within Woolwich Township are ready to apply for their licenses, having already received their required township letters of support.
Matthias explained that in addition to the regular property taxes that Class 1 and Class 2 facilities must pay, the ordinance levies an additional two percent of their annual revenue to be paid directly to the township.
“Much thought and consideration has gone into crafting this ordinance,” Matthias explained. “By its passage, Woolwich will have the opportunity to generate a new source of tax revenue while minimizing environmental impacts. It avoids adding acres of concrete or increasing the number of children in the school district, thereby making a small dent in the imbalance of Woolwich being 94 percent residential.”
The ordinance also goes into regulations from the location of a facility on the property, outdoor storage, air quality for indoor facilities, and preventing cannabis pollen and seeds from leaving the premises.
By Karen E. Viereck, Editor/Publisher
