“I think we finally came up with a solution that helped, and the people that we’ve shared this with do seem to be pleased,” she said.

Under the earlier version of the ordinance, processing facilities could have been located by right in areas zoned heavy industrial or by special exception in areas zoned medium industrial. The regulations approved Wednesday allow processing facilities that use noncombustible extraction processes to be located by right in areas zoned heavy industrial and medium industrial and by special exception in areas zoned light industrial.

“It really allows much more flexibility,” Miller said.

The city determined that the definitions of some terms could be excluded from the ordinance because the same definitions are used by the Health Department, Miller said.

“By the time they (businesses) get to the (city) permit office, they will have received a license from the state Health Department, and they will have already done that review (using) the definitions they established,” Miller said.