SOUTHWICK — After clearing up questions about the address on College Highway for Responsible and Compliant Southwick LLC, doing business as Haven, and parking at the former Family Dollar store, the Planning Board closed its public hearing on the dispensary’s special permit application with a tentative approval.
“I’m really trying to go as fast as possible for you, but also keeping in mind the [special permit] process. We know you’re eager,” said Planning Board Chair Jessica Thornton to one of Haven’s co-owners Brian Kuchachick before asking for a motion to close the hearing.
When the Planning Board met four weeks ago as it opened the required public hearing for Haven’s special permit application, there was a question raised about the business address for the dispensary, which Town Planner Alvin Allen spoke to on Sept. 9.
“In my opinion, it’s really a GIS issue. It’s not really the issue of the applicant,” Allen said.
Haven has been renting the former Family Dollar store for over a year, planning to open its dispensary there, but it shares the same address, 691 College Hwy., as the Avalon Life Celebration Center & Cremation Services on the 1.91-acre property, but applied for the special permit using 681 College Hwy. as its physical address.
At that meeting three weeks ago, Kuchachick acknowledged the confusion and said he was told by the town to use 681.
Thornton had Allen confirm the correct address and determine if republishing the public hearing using the 691 address was needed.
“We advertised it properly,” Allen said.
At the last meeting, Thornton also told Kuchachick he needed to have the Police and Fire departments sign off the permit application.
Fire Department Lt. Brian Schneider wrote: “After reviewing the fire alarm system and the sprinkler system plan submitted for 681 College [Hwy.], these plans are approved for the special permit.”
Police Chief Rhett Bannish examined the store’s security plan and said he was “comfortable with the plan thus far, so you may continue the process.”
Board member Marcus Phelps discussed some concerns the town attorney had with the parking arrangement between Haven and Avalon, which share the parking lot, and securing Haven’s dumpster to ensure it cannot be accessed by the public.
About the dumpster, Thornton said securing it is part of the regulations the dispensary must follow.
On the parking lot question, the board members bounced around a couple of ideas, including putting a barrier or planters up between the two and making one of the two entrances to the property an entrance-only and the other as the exit.
There wasn’t a consensus on what action to take, but Thornton said the solution will be included in the permit when it is issued, which should be at the board’s next meeting on Sept. 23.
Thornton told Kuchachick what happens next in the process.
“Typically, the way that we do things is we will close the hearing, prepare the decision, usually with an eye towards the affirmative and with whatever conditions the town planner assumes that the board would like to see. And we review that at the next meeting and vote on it. So, I think [the permit] should completed at the next meeting.”
Haven formally submitted its special permit request to the Planning Board in early August after being granted a provisional license by the state’s Cannabis Control Commission on July 10.
The dispensary will open and operate in the 8,320-square-foot building with 2,000 square feet of used for its showroom, lobby and patient consultation.
The space will also include a restricted area of about 1,900 square feet that will include a vault, the manager’s office, and an area used for processing and packaging for pre-rolls. The remaining part of the building will be used for storage and a medical treatment manufacturing area.
The only change of the building’s exterior will be the addition of a side door on the building’s south side.
Haven plans on offering medical marijuana, but current CCC regulations on medical marijuana mandate that a dispensary offering it must also have a medical and cultivation license and grow operation.
The House of Representatives has adopted removing the cultivation requirement to be eligible for a medical marijuana license, but it has yet to be adopted by the state Senate.
Medical marijuana is not taxed like retail marijuana, which is subject to a state sales tax of 6.25%, a state excise tax of 10.75%, and up to a 3% local sales tax — Southwick adopted the 3% tax.
In addition, if the legislation is adopted by the Senate, it will restrict awarding medical marijuana licenses to only social equity applicants for three years and allows the CCC to extend it if needed to ensure equity goals are met.
One of Haven’s principles is a verified social equity applicant, according to the application.
Thornton reminded Kuchachick and Dupuis that if they pursue the offering medical marijuana, they will need to apply for another special permit.
The owners will be relying on the knowledge the parent company has developed over the last decade operating medical and retail cannabis dispensaries.
The parent company will also handle the administrative side of the business, taking care of tax payments, accounting and legal services.
