An ordinance that seeks to prohibit outdoor marijuana grow operations in Cortez’s city limits is scheduled to undergo a first reading at the City Council meeting on Tuesday night.
The first reading will introduce the ordinance and establish a public hearing, which is slated for the Aug. 25 council meeting.
According to the ordinance, questions have arisen regarding the legality of outdoor grow areas for medical and retail and personal marijuana. Since the city’s land use code and city code don’t directly deal with all three classes of marijuana uses and outdoor cultivation, City Attorney Mike Green is proposing an ordinance to ensure clarity on the regulations.
The ordinance would also set a civil penalty for outdoor marijuana cultivation, which entails a $499 fine.
Also on the agenda Tuesday night is the approval of the site development plan for Osprey Pack’s expanded headquarters in the Cortez Industrial Park.
The company announced in February its plans for a major expansion of its headquarters, which consists of warehouse and office spaces – one built in 1990 and one built in 1999. In total, the current headquarters sit at a little over 31,000 square feet.
The proposed project doesn’t expand the footprint, but modernizes roughly 21,000 square feet of space for office space and turns it into a new office, warehouse, manufacturing and multipurpose space, according to a project narrative from RMBA Architects. The project also renovates the other warehouse building and adds a small mezzanine.
Osprey Packs employs about 76 people in Cortez.
The Cortez City Council meets Tuesday, Aug. 11 at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall.