WHATELY — The Arizona cannabis company interested in opening a dispensary on State Road would like to open for business in roughly six months.
Northampton attorney Richard M. Evans, representing Harvest Inc., said at last Thursday’s continuation of a Zoning Board of Appeals public hearing that “might be optimistic” but “that’s our aspirational date.” Evans said Harvest’s application to the state Cannabis Control Commission is being completed and will likely be filed within the next week or two.
The idea is to open a dispensary at 424 State Road, which now houses Sturbridge Yankee Pedlar. The dispensary would be run by ToroVerde Massachusetts Corporation III, an entity of Harvest.
A site visit with ZBA members and the public is scheduled for Saturday at 10 a.m. The public hearing was continued to Jan. 31. ToroVerde is set to go before the Planning Board in a few weeks for a site plan review.
Evans spoke at the public hearing along with Ben Kimbro, Harvest’s director of public affairs, ToroVerde President William Beetz, and Berkshire Design Group’s Christopher Chamberland, the civil engineer on the project. Evans and Chamberland led a PowerPoint presentation aimed at explaining the finer details of the proposed project for the roughly 20 people in attendance.
Evans said the idea of marijuana retail is still relatively new, though 67.5 percent of Whately voters in 2008 voted to decriminalize marijuana at the state level, and 71 percent voted in favor of legalizing medical use in 2012. And 55.5 percent voted in 2016 to legalize recreational adult use of marijuana, and related growing and selling of pot and related products.
Evans explained the proposed dispensary will adhere to state regulations and not be within 500 feet of any school, public park, recreation area or existing church.
He said there will be no new construction. Regarding security, he said there will be no need for additional lighting because there will be many infrared security cameras on site.
Chamberland said there are often concerns pertaining to odor, but “that characteristic stink” comes from the flower of the marijuana plant and would not be an issue at a retail-only location. He said the product at the dispensary will be sealed in airtight packaging.
The hope is to cultivate at Pioneer Gardens at 198 Mill Village Road in Deerfield. Harvest grows 42 to 60 strains. A vault will be built on site and representatives of Harvest and ToroVerde said inventory will be vaulted every night.
Kimbro said Harvest is willing to pay for off-duty police officers to patrol the area during the dispensary’s first weeks, if necessary. He said Harvest has 60 marijuana licenses in 12 states.
ZBA member Bob Smith said it seems the proposed site would be “infinitely easier to access” than the dispensary that opened in Northampton last year.
“No one is going to have a location quite like this, I don’t think,” he said, quipping that the nearby Dunkin’ Donuts would be a great place for customers to pick up “munchies” after visiting the dispensary. This caused Kimbro to stress that no marijuana use will be allowed on site, though Smith said he was merely making a joke.
Wiesia Nye, who said her mother lives behind Sturbridge Yankee Pedlar in a home she owns with her mother and siblings, expressed concern over security and increased traffic. Kimbro said he thinks Nye’s mother will like having Harvest as a neighbor.