A medical cannabis growing and distribution center proposed in El Monte is raising concerns from officials in Temple City — because a Temple City neighborhood is directly across the street.
On a 3-1 vote, the Planning Commission advanced the project Tuesday, despite opposition from residents from Temple City and Rosemead, which is also not far from the site. Officials from those two cities are also pushing back against the plan, fearing it would put a strain on their cities’ resources.
Temple City’s opposition is the strongest: In a letter to El Monte, its city attorney argued approval of the project as-is would violate state environmental rules — a common tactic used to slow down large projects.
“The city of El Monte is going to give me free marijuana to inhale — doesn’t matter if I’m asleep,” said Feng Lan Liu, who lives in the nearby Temple City neighborhood. “This is a very residential area.”
But developer Teresa Tsai promised her business would be a good neighbor and that odors would be captured by an air filtration systems. Tsai is required to agree to a long list of conditions for her plan to win city approval and remain in business.
The City Council will consider final approval of the project at a public hearing Dec. 18.
The proposal
Tsai is hoping to remodel the 71,658-square-foot building at 4400 Temple City Blvd., currently housing a furniture store, to organically grow, package and distribute medical marijuana to retail businesses elsewhere. El Monte does not allow any recreational cannabis businesses in the city. Direct sales or deliveries to medical customers is also prohibited.
The El Monte side of the street is industrial. The building is next to a TV repair center, which is next to a plaza anchored by Home Depot. Across the street are homes in Temple City.
If approved, Tsai’s would be the first legal marijuana business in El Monte. Nine applicants have passed initial city vetting, but no others have put together a specific proposal to set up shop in the industrial zones to which these types of businesses are restricted, according to Betty Donavanik, El Monte’s planning and community development director.
Some cities treat marijuana businesses like any other establishment when it comes to permitting, according to Assistant City Attorney Joaquin Vazquez. But El Monte has a lot of rules: Tsai would be required to
- Provide a 24/7 contact number for nearby residents and businesses.
- Check in with the city quarterly during the first year of business and annually afterwards.
- Pay the city a percentage of sales plus a base rate that amounts to $175,000 in the first year.
In addition, 90 percent of the 46 or so employees Tsai plans to hire would be San Gabriel Valley residents and at least 10 percent would be from El Monte.
But at this point, the direct financial benefits would stop at the city line. The money would go to El Monte community and charitable programs — despite the project’s proximity to Temple City and Rosemead. Donavanik said El Monte could choose to share those payments with its neighbors, a decision that will be left to the City Council when it considers final approval of the project.
Cultural considerations
Tsai, an Asian-American who grew up in Temple City, said she understands that some residents’ opposition may come from cultural norms in Asian families. Sixty percent of Temple City residents are Asian, according to U.S. Census estimates.
“Asian parents fear the word ‘marijuana,’” she said. “Even my own parents still squint at the word.”
But she said she’s been able to warm her own parents up to the idea that cannabis can be used to help people with health issues.
Cities concerns
Traffic and public safety concerns were among those raised by Temple City and Rosemead officials. An environmental review that included a traffic study was completed by consultant Marc Blodgett. That review is at the center of Temple City’s opposition.
“Temple City was not given the opportunity to provide any input into on the intersections studied or the methodologies used,” Gregory Murphy, the attorney for that city, wrote in a letter. He called the study “over-simplified,” a sentiment echoed by Rosemead’s planner.
But Blodgett stood by his analysis Tuesday and said he expects traffic to decrease in the area compared to the building’s current retail use.
Commission Chairman Alfred Nuño was the lone no vote. The body added a new condition to the permit application, stipulating that the business must reimburse El Monte for police and fire response costs. It also recommended that distribution stop at 5 p.m. rather than 7 p.m.
