From left, Cannabis Compliance Consultant Ezra Parzybok with Pioneer Valley Trading Co. principals Richard Fiore, Michael Albert and Jason Fiore.
Reminder Publishing file photo
SOUTHWICK — It was announced that Pioneer Valley Trading Co., one of two cannabis retailers chosen by the Select Board to open in town, had been approved for a provisional license from the Cannabis Control Commission, the first step needed to open.
“We’re nothing but smiles,” said Pioneer Valley’s Chief Executive Officer and owner Michael Albert on Wednesday, one day after he and partner Jason Fiore appeared before the Planning Board during a scheduled public hearing required when requesting a special permit.
The issuance of a special permit is required by the CCC before it can begin the multi-step process to grant a full license to Pioneer Valley to open.
Town Planner Jon Goddard made the announcement about the provisional license being granted to Pioneer Valley during the board’s meeting Tuesday.
He also said that he had sent the security plan developed by the retailer to the Police Department Chief Rhett Bannish to review.
“There were no comments or concerns and none from other departments,” Goddard said about the plan.
Albert said once the security system is installed at the company’s location on 660 College Hwy. he would be asking Police Department’s officers to walk through the facility understand its layout.
“It’s important to us,” Albert said, adding that the facility “is going to be like Fort Knox.”
After Goddard finished his remarks, board Chair Jessica Ann Thornton if there were any residents that wanted to comment on the permit request. There were none.
She then asked if any town official wanted to comment. Select Board members Diane Gale and Doug Moglin, both attending the meeting remotely, didn’t offer any remarks.
Thornton then asked the board if they were satisfied with the permit application.
Several members nodded yes, but didn’t comment.
With that, Thornton then closed the public hearing.
She said at the board’s next meeting on March 11 that a draft decision would be discussed by the board.
Asked after the meeting if the board had essentially approved or denied the special permit after getting no negative comments from the public, officials or board members, Thornton said not quite.
“For the majority of our Special Permits, staff draft up an approval decision, with potential language to utilize if a denial is at all anticipated,” she wrote in an email.
She said the draft is written to “anticipate any adverse findings or conditions that board members may have mentioned during the hearing and include them in the document for consideration during the next meeting.”
There were no substantive comments from the board during the two public hearings.
“As the review of the decision occurs and board members suggest edits, the vote to approve or deny becomes clearer, and we edit accordingly,” she wrote.
“We finish the document, vote to approve or deny the application, edit the decision to reflect the vote if it is in fact a surprise at that point, and then vote to approve the decision as written,” Thornton wrote.
With provisional license secured, Albert said the company will apply for a building permit, and the CCC will conduct an architectural plan review of the building before renovations can start, Albert said.
He said previously that his experience opening the company’s first cannabis dispensary, also Pioneer Valley Trading Co. in Westfield, has been invaluable.
“Once we get the architectural approval, that’s when can start building,” Albert said.
The building’s exterior will not be changed, but the interior will be remodeled creating a space for retail space, office, security, and consulting spaces.
When Albert was Fiore were making their presentation to the Select Board last July, Albert said the plan was to also include a medical cannabis dispensary.
They said that is a goal, but the CCC requires dispensaries supplying medical cannabis must have a grow operation.
“That’s our next order of business,” Albert said during the first public hearing held on the permit request in January.
There are still two more inspections by CCC staff before Pioneer Valley can officially open.
Albert was hesitant to give a specific date as to when that could happen, but he expects sometime in the summer.
Pioneer Valley was one of two retailers chosen in July by the Select Board after asking for proposals from cannabis-related businesses that wanted to open in town. Since then, it has held its state mandated community outreach meeting, and secured the host agreement with the town, which the other retailer, Haven, has also secured. Haven has yet to host the community outreach meeting.
