Cannabis zoning lawsuit by homeowners reaches settlement with Vineland and developer
VINELAND - A North Vineland couple is the winner in a Cumberland County Superior Court case that sought to block a cannabis business opening on a nearby commercial property at 3192 North West Boulevard.
A municipal Zoning Board decision in January had given the proposed developer, 3192 NJGCCP LLC, a use variance for cannabis growing. Many area residents spoke against the idea at the hearing, including Donald Money.
Money and his wife Sharon, residents of Old Forest Road, filed a lawsuit in March calling the board decision “arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable.” The lawsuit named the city Zoning Board and the developer as defendants.
Northfield attorney Kristopher J. Facenda, who represented the Money family, said on Friday the project is permanently canceled under terms of a consent order from Assignment Judge Benjamin Telsey.
The July 22 order was based on negotiations among the parties. The case probably would not have gone to trial until mid-2023, Facenda said.
The city had no immediate comment on Friday. Vineland attorney Stephen Barse, who represented the developer, was unavailable at his office Friday.
The developer at the hearing indicated the property would be occupied by Cannect Wellness of New Jersey LLC, an affiliated corporation. Cannect Wellness at the time had a pending license application with the state.
What gave the zoning decision added controversy is that it ran counter to directions from city government. In 2021, the city had adopted zoning rules for cannabis-related businesses. The rules were specific and strict about where such businesses could open, and that area of the Boulevard was ruled out.
Read next:Homeowner suing city, business to revoke approval for cannabis business in farming area
Joe Smith is a N.E. Philly native transplanted to South Jersey more than 30 years ago, keeping an eye now on government in South Jersey. He is a former editor and current senior staff writer for The Daily Journal in Vineland, Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, and the Burlington County Times.
This article originally appeared on Vineland Daily Journal: Vineland NJ cannabis project canceled after settlement
