Copyright CBS News
A new committee, a revamped application process and new criteria are three of the changes that the Village of Pinckney is implementing for recreational cannabis businesses. Pinckney was expected to be the new home of the cannabis dispensary, "The Means Project." However, in the last two years, construction stalled and was never completed, leaving what used to be an elementary school sitting empty. It would have been Livingston County's first cannabis dispensary. "Here in Pinckney, what we're trying to do is we're really trying to become more transparent with our processes, what we're doing, how our ordinances are built," said village Councilmember Jo Self. Self said the committee will have five members and review applications. "To fairly determine who actually is able to receive the license that has been granted here, and so we've come up with this scoring rubric that allows us to evaluate each person that applies in a very fair and neutral manner," Self said. She says that there are a lot of factors committee members will be looking at. "Some of the criteria might be what kind of investment are you going to make. The building you're going to rehab, are you building from scratch, or are you using land use? Are you going to create beautification? Are you creating a sidewalk?" She said. The criteria, rubric, and score will all be available for community members to see online on the village website. "I think it's in all of our best interest to make sure that whoever is coming with whatever kind of business it is that we're ensuring it's a benefit to our as a whole," she said.
