After months of debate, the battle over Amesbury Road’s dueling marijuana shops will be heard once and for all on Tuesday, Aug. 20. At Tuesday night’s Haverhill City Council meeting, the panel decided both Mellow Fellows and Haverwell Market will present their business plans and face members of the public during a special permit meeting on the same night before councilors vote to approve or deny them the right to open in the city.
As expected given the conflict of interest he faces as the landlord of the 330 Amesbury Road property eyed by the Mellow Fellows, Councilor Michael S. McGonagle abstained from the vote, and although Joseph J. Bevilacqua voted against the measure, it still passed, receiving six votes. Councilor William J. Macek was absent from the meeting.
City Solicitor William D. Cox Jr. was the sole speaker at Tuesday night’s session, which was more a formality to iron out logistics ahead of the permit meeting itself. In his brief remarks, Cox reminded councilors that while both shops will present business plans one after another, they are to be judged alone on merit.
“Each applicant has a right under the law to be judged on the strengths and weaknesses of their application independent of any other application that may come before you,” Cox said.
The Aug. 20 permit meeting will be held in the City Hall auditorium at 7 p.m., Council President John A. Michitson confirmed.
Ahead of Tuesday night’s meeting, both shop owners petitioned members of the council to prove just why their location is right for Amesbury Road. Haverwell CEO Christopher Edwards had his attorney Bill Faraci pen a note on his behalf attesting to his five years’ experience as a cannabis entrepreneur, with businesses in Salem, Salisbury and Amesbury. The Mellow Fellows—Phil Brown, Tim Riley and Charles Emery—touted their Haverhill roots when submitting their credentials.
Should one or both Amesbury Road locations be permitted, they would join the three already set to open in Haverhill: Stem at 124 Washington St., Full Harvest Moonz at 101 Plaistow Road, and CNA Stores at 558 River St. All shops must secure licensing from the state Cannabis Control Commission before being able to fully open for business.
97.9 WHAV FM plans to have full coverage of the Aug. 20 special permit hearing. Have a marijuana-related story tip to share in the meantime? Email [email protected]