Pinckney moved forward with plans for two recreational cannabis businesses on Monday, but not without some hesitation from local officials.
The Pinckney Planning Commission re-approved the final site plan for The Means Project, a cannabis retail, growing, and processing facility located at the former Pinckney Elementary at 935 M-36. Additionally, the commission gave preliminary approval to Essence, a proposed marijuana microbusiness that will include a retail showroom, grow room, storage, and processing facility. This development is planned for a vacant plot at 1268 E. M-36, between Wendy's and Taco Bell. Essence will need final site plan approval in the future.
Initially, the commission voted 4-2 against The Means Project without explanation, with Vice Chair Joe Hartman and Council President Linda Lavey voting in favor. Later in the meeting, Hartman encouraged a re-vote after discussing some commissioners' concerns, resulting in a 5-1 vote to approve with contingencies. Chair Christine Oliver voted "no" the second time.
The previously approved site plan for The Means Project expired due to construction delays and a legal dispute, with no changes made to the plans in the interim.
Jacob Kahn, an attorney for The Means Project, was surprised by the initial denial, citing that village officials had already extended a special land use permit, which was a prerequisite for final site plan approval.
"We are not actually allowed to vote 'no'; that would be illegal," Hartman explained later in the meeting.
"It would probably get us sued," added Lavey. "I also hate that marijuana has come to town, but people voted, so it's here. It's a legal business. They have a site plan that was already approved. So, what's stopping us tonight?"
Commissioners Oliver and Alex Smith expressed concerns about the project's completion, given its history of delays.
"Given the history and the track record, that's where my concerns come from," Smith noted.
Commissioner Trisha Wagner cited traffic concerns as her reason for initially voting "no."
Village Zoning Administrator Julie Durkin reminded the commission that The Means Project has a new general contractor and a performance guarantee in place. She also noted that the Michigan Department of Transportation oversees traffic on M-36.
The commission then voted to approve the project.
Marco Lytwyn, representing Pinckney Developments, LLC, proposed Essence, a 3,200-square-foot Class A microbusiness. In Michigan, such microbusinesses can grow up to 300 plants on-site to process and sell.
While some commissioners expressed reluctance, the commission approved the proposal with a 5-1 vote, with Smith voting against.
Commissioner Deborah Grischke voiced concerns about traffic, questioning a report predicting about 100 vehicles a day. She also sought more information about potential impacts on the watershed after public concerns about nearby Honey Creek.
Lytwyn must address contingencies, including a third-party traffic study and county approval of a drainage plan, among other conditions.
Share this article:
Spotted a typo, grammatical error, or a factual inaccuracy? Let us know - we're committed to correcting errors swiftly and accurately!
Helpful Links Categories Recent News 
