Lawrence Campbell debated the decision.

On the one hand, the long-time commercial architect from Kent is entirely anti-drugs of all kinds. On the other, he figured that he could potentially be part of a process that is the lesser of two evils.

“I did some soul searching for a while,” Campbell told The Reporter over the phone. “If there ever was an anti-drug guy, it’s me. I don’t like people who do it. But that’s their business, I’m not going to sit in moral judgment of anybody.”

Campbell is working with a company called Crimson Wave, Covington’s first prospective recreational marijuana retail store, which was issued a tenant improvement building permit in the city last month. The proposed location is 27623 Covington Way SE, next to the Napa Auto Parts store, just south of Costco.

The tenant improvement permit was the first step required by the state before inspectors check the store location for compliance with all state regulations.

Crimson Wave joined a pool of 1,174 applicants for one of the state’s 334 recreational marijuana retail licenses. Each of the applicants were placed into a lottery system, with a certain number of stores allotted in each city. The state liquor board issued the state’s first recreational pot licenses in July.

According to the board’s website, the number of retail locations was determined using a formula that distributes the number of locations proportionate to the most populous cities within each county. Smaller cities in the county, like Covington, were placed in a group called “King County at Large,” which would be given 11 total stores.

Crimson Wave received a No. 11 lottery rank for King County at large, with a listed location address of 747 Watson St. N. in Enumclaw. That address was also listed for the trade name Weedhouse, which received a No. 7 lottery rank.

Brian Smith, spokesman for the Liquor Control Board, said there were three Crimson Wave trade names registered with the Washington State Liquor Control Board, with locations in Snohomish, Covington and Spokane. He said a lottery winner can jump to a different viable address, so long as it is within the same jurisdiction.

“They couldn’t move into Seattle but they could move out to Covington,” Smith said.

By winning the lottery in the No. 11 slot, Crimson Wave can move forward in the process. It still must meet all qualifying criteria, which includes a criminal background check and security requirements. If a winner doesn’t meet the requirements, the businesses’ application is withdrawn and the liquor control board moves to next on the lottery list.

Any business that receives a state license must also meet Covington’s current interim zoning requirements, which incorporate all state requirements, plus an additional 1,000 foot buffer from churches and trail systems. The 1,000 foot buffer separation also applies to schools, parks, libraries, park and rides and child care facilities. The building is located 2,000 feet from the Covington library parking lot, according to Google Maps. The recreational marijuana business would have no impact on Covington Holistic Medicine, a medical marijuana business that opened in 2011.

Richard Hart, Covington Community Development Director, told The Reporter in July that the owners stopped by the permit counter for the first time on June 25. Hart said the city issued Crimson Wave a tenant improvement permit at the end of November. The next step would be actual tenant improvement to the space itself so that the store passes all state requirements. If state inspectors sign off and issue a preliminary license, Crimson Wave can apply for a business license with the city, which will conduct its own final review.

“I have no idea how long all of this is going to take,” Hart said. “It could be two months, three months. It is entirely up to them.”

Hart said the permit review was completed weeks prior to when Crimson Wave actually came to pick it up.

Cory Wiegers is listed as Crimson Wave’s applicant through the Liquor Control Board. Multiple emails and phone messages by The Reporter to his listed information went unreturned. Ben Bentitou is listed as the applicant on the permit application through the city of Covington. Bentitou declined to comment when reached by email, writing, “I have a family and day job that I simply don’t need impacted.”

Campbell said in November the tenant has a contractor lined up to do work on the building. Despite his reservations, Campbell said he would rather see marijuana sale be done legally, under some control and taxation where the money can go to some good causes.

“I may regret even being involved, but in a few years we will find out,” Campbell said. “On the other side of the coin, if I didn’t someone else would.”