AMHERST – A Newton company interested in opening a medical marijuana dispensary in Amherst intends to purchase and redevelop the site of a long-time restaurant at the corner of Amity Street and edge of the University of Massachusetts campus.
Happy Valley Ventures MA Inc., on Friday submitted a letter to the Select Board seeking support for its plans to buy the 422 Amity St. building that houses Rafter’s Sports Bar & Restaurant, and make changes to the site, including construction of a new 4,000-square-foot building to house the operation.
Happy Valley Ventures is the fourth company to ask the Select Board for a letter of support or a letter of non-opposition for its application, which will be submitted to the state’s Department of Public Health for review. The previous three applicants, two of which also proposed dispensaries on University Drive, already received letters of support.
The Select Board has not yet scheduled a hearing on the application, though chairwoman Alisa Brewer said it could be held June 6.
According to a letter submitted by Michael D. Reardon, founder and chairman, Happy Valley Ventures is a “nonprofit organization that will operate as a community-oriented, nonprofit, medical marijuana organization that provides patients in need with safe and convenient access to scientifically tested, medical-grade marijuana, holistic wellness services, and educational resources.”
Reardon also wrote that the registered marijuana dispensary is “part of an overall redevelopment plan of the entire parcel by our experienced development team” that would have a new building it would lease.
Reardon could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.
The Select Board has submitted letters of support for two dispensaries proposed a short distance away, MassMedicum Corp. of Easton, in a new 2,000-square-foot building at 85 University Drive; and Mass Alternative Care of Springfield, to use a former restaurant space at 55 University Drive.
In March, the board approved a letter of support for GTI-Massachusetts NP Corp. to use a 3.3-acre site at 169 Meadow St. in North Amherst.
Another dispensary, called the Happy Valley Compassion Center, is proposed for Route 9 in Hadley near the Amherst town line. The Hadley Select Board has not yet taken action on that project.
According to an agreement signed March 19, Happy Valley intends to purchase, for $2 million, the 1968 building and 1.31 acres at 422 Amity St. from West Amherst, LLC, managed by Laird Summerlin, of Edisto Island, South Carolina.
Summerlin opened Rafters in 1991, after the previous restaurant at the site, Chequers, closed following two decades in business.
Rafters’ current owners, Jerry and Dolly Jolly, were long-time managers at the restaurant and purchased that business and The Pub, at 15 East Pleasant St., in 2001, though Summerlin kept ownership of both buildings.
Dolly Jolly said in an email that her family’s lease on the building allows a right of first refusal to buy the property from Summerlin, but that the $2 million proposed sale price is more than twice the $854,200 assessment.
“The proposed buyer wants to continue to have a restaurant at the site and we will continue to operate Rafters,” pending negotiation of a new lease, Jolly said.
She added that a new building to the rear of Rafters would house the dispensary, which might become a recreational marijuana facility if marijuana is legalized by voters in November.
Hampshire County currently has one dispensary, New England Treatment Access, which opened in September at 118 Conz St. in Northampton.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
