After a highly-charged public hearing on Wednesday on revisions to the township’s ordinance permitting a medical marijuana cultivation business, the Township Committee tabled the ordinance for further review.
Committee Member Bader Qarmout motioned for the ordinance to be tabled, which has been in the code books since July but was being amended to tighten its language, with fellow Committee Members Virginia “Ginnie” Raffay and James Chirip joining Qarmout in the affirmative vote. Mayor Margaret “Peg” Phillips voted “no,” because she had concerns the ordinance already on the books is flawed. Committee Member Daniel Conkling was absent from the meeting.
Qarmout balked on moving forward with the ordinance after hearing comments from the audience, especially from Christopher Izzo, a patent attorney from Bridgewater, who accompanied his sister, Green resident Catherine Cooper. Izzo called the first ordinance a violation of state law and described it as “deficient,” claiming it violates the Drug Free School Zone law.