BORDENTOWN CITY – The City of Bordentown took another step forward in allowing cannabis operations to do business in the city
The Bordentown City Commissioners unanimously passed the revised cannabis regulatory ordinance at a meeting on Aug. 8. The measure was approved by the Planning Board last week.
As Bordentown City Mayor Jennifer Sciortino notes, the passing of the revised ordinance was more of a formality to clear up two minor issues from the original ordinance that was approved by the city last summer.
Two areas of concern that were addressed in the new ordinance was that no cannabis business could take place 1,000 feet near a drug-free school zone and additional measures that attribute to the application process for businesses to be allowed to sell marijuana in the city, officials said.
Since approving the original ordinance last summer, Bordentown City has had four cannabis operations apply to conduct business in the community.
Three of those businesses, which include ElectraLeaf and Paratus, are in the mix to occupy the former Ocean Spray site on Park Street.
The original plan for the Ocean Spray site was to have it become a space for apartments and commercial retail and call it “Cranberry Park.” That however, changed late in 2020 when the developer, Daniel Popkin of Modern Recycled Spaces, decided to sell the property to a new developer without giving notice to city officials.
The site’s new developer has since decided to not go through with the original plans of Cranberry Park and have offered business leasing opportunities in the space to ElectraLeaf and Paratus.
Following comments from the public and the board at the Commission meeting, Sciortino said the city will continue to monitor information from the state and public when it comes to allowing cannabis operations to take place.
“This is a work in progress,” Sciortino said. “We will adjust when we have to.”
