“It is our intention to move forward with the proposed site at 413 Wareham Road by seeking a slight rezone/overlay of the freestanding parcel,” began Ericca Kennedy, the Massachusetts Economic Empowerment partner of Lighthouse Recreational Cannabis Dispensary, a business that is attempting to open its doors to customers from the former Cumberland Farms property. “The slight rezone/overlay would be from General Business to Light Industrial. This would allow us to be in compliance with the Town bylaw.”
Speaking from prepared notes at the January 21 meeting of the Marion Planning Board, Kennedy outlined the high level of security as well as customer experience planned by the retailer of marijuana and its byproducts. She touched on parking at the Route 6 property, a sensitive subject for the intersection nearby that has, as of late, been the topic of several meetings looking for ways to make pedestrian crossing and traffic flow more harmonious at this critical multi-road intersection. Kennedy said that there would be a parking attendant to help manage traffic flow into and out of the parking lot and that valet parking might also be added.
Kennedy acknowledged and thanked the town for working with Lighthouse, including the suggestions that they purchase the town-owned Atlantis Drive building scheduled for surplus, according to Town Administrator James McGrail. However, she said that after evaluating that location it was deemed a poor investment for Lighthouse. She did not completely close the door on that location, though, suggesting the possibility of leasing the building from the town.
But on this night Kennedy was seeking a positive consensus from the Planning Board in support of a bylaw change that would increase the Light Industrial Overlay District to include 413 Wareham Road.
Board Chairman Will Saltonstall felt that there was no need to increase the Light Industrial District and that there was considerable land already allocated for businesses fitting into the scope of the bylaw.
“It’s my opinion… for not putting this forward,” said Saltonstall.
Polling the other members, Norman Hills, also a selectman, questioned Kennedy’s traffic assumptions that everything could be handled smoothly.
“Where’s the overflow going to go?” He asked, adding that the Atlantis Drive property was already in the Light Industrial District and that Kennedy’s plan wasn’t “workable”.
Board member Eileen Marum agreed, saying, “Traffic may impact Wells Road and Spring Street.”
Hills interjected that proposals to decrease the number of lanes on Route 6 had to be taken into consideration when permitting businesses. Saltonstall read into the minutes a letter from the Board of Selectmen that they would not support any business that increased traffic along Route 6.
Planning Board member Kristen Saint Don, while agreeing that traffic had to be taken into consideration, said, “The two lanes on Route 6 is just a proposal.” She asserted that businesses looking to locate in the General Business District should not be turned away because of traffic issues and thought that decisions should be based on the matters at hand, not proposals.
Hills and Marum both discussed the town’s Master Plan, which gave much weight to traffic issues, the need for traffic calming measures, and pedestrian crossings.
Coming down soundly on the side of inviting new businesses into the community was Planning Board member Andrew Daniel. He said that Lighthouse’s business plans would bring in thousands of dollars to the town, funds that could be used for a variety of big-ticket items the townspeople would otherwise have to bear.
“This would help us with the Master Plan,” Daniel said. “General Business is Route 6; we should be planning for that.”
But he was not particularly in favor of the 413 Wareham Road location as a marijuana dispensary. “This is not the best plan or the best location, but I’m in favor of the zoning.” He went on to say, “I would totally support looking at the overlays and zoning changes. We need to get creative about where our money will come from.” Daniel continued, “We don’t need another real estate or insurance office.”
“The Light Industrial should be off Route 6, not in the front of the house,” said Saltonstall. He said again that he thought there was plenty of opportunity with the zoning in place now, adding of marijuana businesses, “They can be successful no matter where they are.”
Daniel agreed, pointing to the medical marijuana facility in Fairhaven located off Alden Road.
As the discussion wound down, Kennedy stated, “It is our goal to keep working with this town… to continue to try.”
Saltonstall reminded her that zoning bylaw changes required a two-thirds vote at Town Meeting.
In other business, Dwight Crosby, Tri-Town Motors, came before the Planning Board expressing frustration that his approval to begin towing and impounding services in the community had, after more than a year, not produced any calls to his business.
Town Planner Gil Hilario said that Building Commissioner Scott Shippey had raised questions about whether or not Crosby needed a modification to his Special Permit because “impounding” was not specifically spelled out; instead, “storage” had been used.
The Planning Board members for their part thought that this might be splitting hairs and were in agreement that Crosby had everything he needed to start providing towing and impounding services.
They chose to take no action, believing everything was in place, but assured Crosby that they would follow up with Shippey and town counsel to ensure that was the case.
Engineer David Davignon of Schneider, Davignon and Leone, Inc., representing the Marion Lands Trust, received an Approval Not Required for the creation of three lots located off Wareham Road carved from a parcel of more than 10 acres.
The next meeting of the Marion Planning Board is scheduled for February 3 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.
Marion Planning Board
By Marilou Newell