The final tally of hopefuls to open Fountain Hills' only medical-marijuana dispensary stands at eight.
However, the actual identity of those eight applicants is unknown. The Arizona Department of Health Services has received eight dispensary license applications for Fountain Hills but is required by law to keep the applications confidential.
The deadline to submit was May 25.
Bob Rodgers, the town's senior planner, has approved eight zoning-verification applications for a medical-marijuana facility.
One facility will be allowed within the town, and that would be in a commercial-zoning district that includes the area along Colony Drive off Saguaro Boulevard.
In the final week approaching the deadline, the town received three zoning-verification applications, and Rodgers approved all of them.
All three applications are for the same property, 17005 E. Colony Drive, Suite 103.
The applicants are Scottsdale residents Kimberly Steinmetz and Mark Steinmetz, and Fountain Hills resident Lawrence Berle.
"I believe they were all submitted by the same person, so I believe they are all in some sort of partnership," Rodgers said.
Five other applicants previously received approval:
Restaurateur Josh Levine, for a dispensary on a vacant lot at 16935 E. Colony Drive.
Yvonne Wolf, co-owner of Wolf Brothers Construction Co., for a dispensary on a lot at 12008 N. Colony Drive.
The Healing Co., for a dispensary at 17007 E. Colony Drive.
Vladimir Buer of Buer Revocable Trust, for a dispensary at 16913 E. Enterprise Drive.
Douglas Shaughnessy, for a dispensary at 16939 E. Colony Drive.
The eight zoning approvals do not match the applications submitted to the Department of Health Services because Levine is no longer seeking a license for Fountain Hills, said Court Rich, a Rose Law Group attorney who is representing him.
According to the department, applicants were given the option to skip the process of obtaining zoning approval from cities or towns and instead could submit a letter signed by the municipality approving the address for a proposed dispensary.
"Two of the applicants brought those forms in for me to sign," Rodgers said. "However, I had already issued them zoning-verification letters and told everyone I would not sign that unless they got zoning verification."
In all, the department has received 484 license applications and could issue up to 126 licenses in August.
Until then, the applications will be scrutinized and applicants will be given an opportunity to provide additional information if more is needed, according to the department.
Rich said it's anybody's guess who submitted applications.
"You never see the application that was filed, so you really have to put a lot of faith in the Department of Health Services that it will do a very good job of reviewing applications to make sure they follow the law," Rich said.
by Edward Gately - Jun. 2, 2012 06:15 AM The Republic | azcentral.com
8 vie for Fountain Hills medical-pot dispensary license
