Green Society Group owner Chris Schoonover has received a stop work order and unsafe notice from the city of Maple Valley.

According to Schoonover, an official from the city posted the notices to the entrance of his Maple Valley business on May 3, after his permit was allegedly denied by the city due to the city’s moratorium on medical marijuana gardens and dispensaries.

“I was greeted at the desk and told they weren’t accepting it from me,” Schoonver said. “I thought he was joking. He said, ‘We’re not recognizing any permits until the moratorium is lifted.'”

Schoonover’s attorney, Jay Berneberg, stated in a telephone interview he is considering whether to file an emergency injunction against the city’s unsafe notice, though he also said they are also looking at other options as well.

“My clients are not quitting,” he said.

Calling the city’s actions “corrupt” as well using an expletive to describe the situation, Berneberg called it a weak attempt by Maple Valley officials to shut down GSG.

“It’s arbitrary and capricious,” Beneberg said. “We met with the city. They realized after meeting with us that what they (GSG) were doing is a lawful enterprise. They know it. They talked to (King County Prosecutor) Dan Satterberg and he said ‘Don’t bust them, because I won’t prosecute.’ That’s the only thing they could think of to keep this business from opening. Every other aspect is entirely lawful. The city did this as a pretext to deny the lawful use of a property.”

City Manager David Johnston stated in a telephone interview that GSG did not follow the correct protocol when applying for a permit in a timely fashion.

“Our code says that if improvements are made without proper permit this is the process that is undertaken,” he said. “We have no idea if it is a safe environment and nobody can operate a business without proper inspection and proper permitting.”

Schoonover stated that in spite of the notices, business is still open, which Johnston said would result in penalties.

“I thought things were going to come to a resolution,” Schoonover said.

He also questioned the city’s unsafe notice as several city officials visited the business during the April 20 open house.

“If they really feel it’s unsafe, how come it took them to this date,” he said. “Why were they letting people come in?”

Schoonover has described his business, which opened on April 20, as specializing in “palliative care and networking solutions,” which includes medical marijuana collective gardens.

The city passed a moratorium on collective gardens and dispensaries in July of last year.

Both Schoonover and Berneberg have argued that Green Society Group does not fall under the moratorium.

GSG is located at 22210 S.E. 272nd Street in Frontier Square.