SUNLAND PARK, NEW MEXICO (KFOX14/CBS4) — After hours of debate and public comment, Sunland Park City Council once again failed to approve special use permits for two proposed cannabis dispensaries, leaving both projects on hold.

Mayor Javier Parea said city rules required a majority vote of the seven-member governing body.

“So current stature requires zoning issues to use, it required a majority of the governing body because I have a council of six and seven with the mayor governing body of seven. And it requires four votes in the affirmative. We did not get the four votes in the affirmative,” Parea said.

It was the second time the council denied the request.

RELATED: Dispensary plan rejection may delay Sunland Park entertainment complex, say developers

For Station X, the council vote was one abstention, three in favor and two against.

For the Cronica dispensary, the vote was two abstentions, one against and two in favor, with the mayor adding a yes vote. Even with the mayor’s vote, the measure still did not reach the four affirmative votes needed to move forward.

The dispensaries are operated by Chadcor Holdings New Mexico, an independent cannabis company that says it is not affiliated with any other venue or development project at the site, including Independent Nation, an entertainment venue planned to be built next door.

Chadcor Holdings New Mexico also said the hearing focused strictly on cannabis licensing.

Last year, the council denied similar permits and a redrawing of property lines linked to the project.

Developers with Independent Nation later challenged that decision in court.

In March, a district court judge ruled the city failed to properly justify the denial, reversing part of the decision and ordering a new hearing.

READ MORE: Judge sides with Independent Nation developers, orders new hearing

After hours of public comment both for and against the projects, the council’s vote again blocked the dispensaries from moving forward.

An attorney representing two cannabis business owners and community members who opposed the projects spoke during the hearing.

Brian Grayson, an attorney representing Christian Lira and Pablo Duran, said, “We gave them reasons to protect the community and show the effect that allowing these special use permits would have had on the community. Things that were unavoidable. And one of the things that we were concerned about is they wanted approval now, justify the application later. And that was some of the arguments that we made, and it’s pretty clear that the council accepted those arguments as well, reasons.”

Grayson added, “The point was to speak for the community and speak in an organized way and present the facts. I would say probably yet, it’s a win for the community more than anything.”

Representatives for Chadcor Holdings and Independent Nation declined to comment during the meeting however the below statement was later released on behalf of Chadcor Holdings:

As the Council made no findings or conclusions during the public hearing, we will await their required written decision to make any public comments in response.

Sign up to receive the top interesting stories from in and around our community once daily in your inbox.