Permits for a cannabis dispensary operated by the family of former Congressman George Miller could be approved Wednesday night by the Martinez City Council.
It is a dispensary whose location 2 1/2 blocks from Alhambra High School has drawn criticism from school district officials and some others in the community.
On Nov. 20, the City Council approved intent to award a conditional certificate to Embarc, with the final approval anticipated for Jan. 15.
But the approval did not come without criticism, as officials from the Martinez Unified School District criticized both the proposed location of Embarc — 2 1/2 blocks away from the high school — and that school officials weren’t notified about the proposed cannabis dispensary location until shortly before the Nov. 20 meeting.
According to a city staff report, Martinez officials, including police Chief Manjit Sappal, met with Martinez schools Superintendent CJ Cammack and George Miller IV (the son of the former congressman) on Dec. 4 to discuss related issues.
Though “a resolution to all issues was not achieved,” according to a city staff report, Embarc proposes several new measures to address many of the school district’s concerns, including an additional representative on a Community Advisory Board dealing with dispensary-related issues.
The Martinez City Council meeting begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall at 525 Henrietta Ave.