Torrington's planning and zoning commission on Wednesday night decided where drug treatment centers, alternatives to prison, and medical marijuana dispensaries could and could not operate, just as the House of Representatives approved sales of medical marijuana in Connecticut.
"None of our residential zones or our downtown district, the commission feels, is appropriate for one of those uses," said Martin Connor, the city planner.
The commission ruled the local business zones and the industrial and industrial park zones would be appropriate zones, Connor said, though that doesn't mean automatic approval of applications.
"This gives the commission the power to hold a public hearing, gauge the input from the nearby residents or businesses, then based on that specific location, decide whether it's an appropriate spot," Connor said.
A city or town cannot use zoning to ban a drug treatment center. Ansonia tried, but Ansonia had to rewrite its zoning rules this year under pressure from the US Department of Justice.
People who live near Kennedy Drive in Torrington have expressed concern about rumors a drug treatment center is headed their way. This new zoning would forbid that, Connor said, because it's a residential zone.
