Resident urges Norton City Council to narrow cannabis zoning and require conditional approvals

Susan Welch, a Norton resident, urged city council on April 20 to narrow proposed local zoning for cannabis dispensaries and to add a strict conditional-use permitting process that would require planning commission review, city council approval and public input.

Her remarks focused on the proposal before council (ordinance 35-2026), which she said allowed dispensaries and related facilities in multiple zones — including B2 general business — that, in Norton, sit close to residential areas. "Allowing retail cannabis dispensaries in B2 could disrupt the quiet environment of residential properties," Welch said, adding that some B2 areas lie along neighborhood entrances where she feared children might stand near a dispensary while waiting for the school bus.

Welch recommended removing the B2 district from the list of allowable locations and creating a conditional approval process for dispensaries and cultivation facilities. She asked that any conditional process require planning commission review, city council approval and public input and cited existing state and local buffer rules including the state's 500-foot baseline and Norton's proposed 1,000-foot buffer.

Council did not immediately change the ordinance. A council member said they would review whether a conditional‑use pathway already exists in the city's code and would consider amending where appropriate before the ordinance's third reading. The transcript shows the matter remains under active review; no formal amendment or vote on the zoning rules took place at the April 20 meeting.

Why it matters: zoning decisions will determine where cannabis businesses may locate in Norton and which neighborhoods could be affected. Council members said they were mindful of residents' concerns and of balancing local land-use control with state law.

Next steps: ordinance 35-2026 was at second reading on April 20; council indicated it would examine the conditional-use language and the B2 allowance before the next meeting and that the item will return for further readings and potential amendment.