The Pontiac Planning Commission unanimously approved Dec. 3 a special exception and preliminary site plan allowing Cured Leaf TC to open a small indoor adult-use marijuana retail facility at 962 Cesar E Chavez Avenue.

Staff summary: Michael Boettcher said the property is an existing roughly 1,700-square-foot building on about one-third of an acre in the C-3 Quarter Commercial district within the Cesar Chavez adult-use overlay. Staff concluded that required buffers (1000 feet to schools; 500 feet to childcare, parks and religious uses) are met and recommended site-plan approval with conditions tied to required elevations, photometric plans, transparency calculations and screening.

Applicant remarks: Alejandro Fernandez of Stonefield Engineering said the applicants are the civil engineers representing Cured Leaf TC and that peak employee counts are projected at five (resulting in a total of eight when including required staff). Fernandez said mechanical equipment will be located on the northeast side of the building and screened; he also said the applicant does not plan to sell unpackaged flower from the sidewalk and that HVAC and filters will mitigate potential odor.

Commission discussion and outcome: Commissioners debated transparency (the code requires 40% glazing for this building type; initial drawings showed 31.6% but staff noted subsequent revisions meet 40% with clerestory/clearstory windows and additional architectural treatments). Commissioner Jackson moved to approve the special exception and the preliminary site plan but requested that final site-plan drawings, corrected elevations and dated revisions be brought back to the commission for final approval; the motion passed unanimously on roll call.

What’s next: The commission’s approval is preliminary and conditional. Staff required the applicant to return with reconciled color elevations, clarified glazing calculations, a photometric plan, appropriate dumpster surround materials and confirmation of pole heights and mechanical screening before final sign-off.