GRAFTON – Town officials voiced support Monday for starting conservatively with bylaws regulating recreational marijuana establishments in town, and then relax restrictions if residents want to make the town more marijuana-friendly.
The Board of Selectmen held a workshop with the Planning Board to discuss draft articles for a special town meeting, tentatively planned for Feb. 12.
A draft initial amendment to the table of use in the town’s zoning bylaws – a conservative approach – would allow marijuana establishments only in industrial or office/light industrial districts, and only with a special permit.
Marijuana establishments include craft marijuana cultivator cooperative, independent testing laboratory, marijuana cultivator, marijuana product manufacturer and marijuana retailer.
Town meeting voters would have the chance in another draft article to vote for fewer restrictions on marijuana retailers, allowing them through special permit in neighborhood business, community business and village mixed-use districts in addition to industrial and office/light industrial.
A separate draft amendment defines marijuana establishments and sets out requirements to be eligible for a special permit. Among the requirements, marijuana establishments couldn’t be within 500 feet of the following: another marijuana establishment or medical marijuana dispensary, unless it is owned or leased by the same operator; a school, day care center or other area where children gather; a college campus, meaning any site owned or operated as part of the campus by a private institution of higher education; a public library; or a playground or park.
Two other draft articles would limit the number of marijuana retail establishments to 20 percent of the number of off-site retail alcohol licenses issued, which would be two, and would impose a local tax of 3 percent on marijuana sales.
State licensing of recreational marijuana establishments is scheduled to begin April 1, and town officials wanted to have bylaws in place to protect the town while steering any new businesses to certain areas, to promote economic development.
However, the state Cannabis Control Commission, which oversees licensure, has not yet released its draft regulations.
“It’s really a threading-the-needle type thing,” said Michael Scully, Planning Board chairman.
Selectman Sargon Hanna argued that marijuana establishments shouldn’t be allowed in neighborhood business districts, including the Common, but he supported siting in village mixed-use areas such as South Grafton.
Selectman Craig V. Dauphinais said, “If anything, it should be more restrictive than medical (dispensaries),” agreeing with Mr. Hanna that neighborhood business siting would be a mistake.
“I’m not saying we shouldn’t do it, but be prepared for the lynch mob,” he added.
Planning Board member David Robbins replied, “Consideration for the neighborhood is part and parcel of the special permit process.”
“There’s varying degrees of conservative,” said Selectman Bruce W. Spinney III, who chairs the board. “I want to make sure we don’t shoot ourselves in the foot. I want to make sure they’re not going to go somewhere else.”
credit:telegram.com
