Cannabis

Haverhill City Council to Hear Request Tonight to Allow Cannabis Cultivation in Ward Hill

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Haverhill City Councilors are being asked tonight to allow a cannabis cultivation operation to open up shop in Ward Hill. Andre Colon, CEO of True House Cannabis, or THC, from Lawrence, is asking city zoning be changed to allow a building at 25 Bond St. in the Ward Hill Business Park to grow cannabis for distribution only to licensed marijuana establishments. The plan is opposed by Haverhill Economic Development and Planning Director William Pillsbury Jr. because it would, in his words, violate a “fundamental principal of zoning” to “not create isolated locations of an otherwise prohibited use” and would undermine the “extensive process to establish zones” for cannabis operations. The Haverhill Planning Board also voted Sept.

Cannabis

Renamed ‘Mello,’ Haverhill’s Fourth Cannabis Shop Receives Final State License

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Haverhill’s fourth adult-use cannabis retailer opens soon after being awarded its final license last week by the state Cannabis Control Commission. Mellow Fellows, to be known publicly as “Mello,” received its retail license last Thursday. Commission staff reported the last of four retailers permitted so far in Haverhill completed construction at 330 Amesbury Road, Haverhill and was inspected Sept. 21. Although proposed by Charles Emery, Timothy Riley and E. Phillip Brown, the store is now 91% owned by Wellesley-based Mass Invest Group with Arthur Becker and Alan J. Kanders listed as managers of the group.

Cannabis

Haverhill Cannabis Retailer Cites Second Mass. Community to Forgo Impact Fees as Example

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The decision by a second Massachusetts community not to charge an impact fee to a cannabis retailer is evidence cited by a Haverhill shop there are no impacts from hosting such businesses. Caroline Pineau, owner and CEO of Stem, said the recent experience by the Town of Lee and, earlier by the City of Northampton, shows recreational cannabis stores have, thus far, posed no additional or unusual expenses to communities that host them. “The $1.3 million cost report produced by Haverhill looked ridiculous when it came out and it looks even more ridiculous now with the Town of Lee and Northampton both admitting there have been no costs,” she told WHAV. According to The Berkshire Eagle, the Lee Select Board decided last Tuesday not to assesses the town’s only pot shop because the business did not add to the community’s costs during the year that ended in July. The Board, however, reportedly reserved the right to assess an impact fee in the future should the situation change.

Cannabis

Appeals Court Judges Rule in Favor of the City of Haverhill and Cannabis Retailer Stem in Zoning Dispute

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A state Appeals Court ruled yesterday in favor of the City of Haverhill and Stem, a downtown cannabis retailer, over the legality of zoning where the shop is located. The appeal of last year’s Land Court decision was requested by J. Bradford Brooks and Lloyd Jennings, as trustees of L&B Realty Trust, and Stavros Dimakis, as trustee of Evthokia Realty Trust. They contested Land Court Judge Robert E. Foster’s decision last year that Licensed Marijuana Establishments are consistent with the city’s Licensed Marijuana Establishments Overlay Zone, Waterfront District and Downtown Smart Growth Overlay District. The opponents argued city rules call for a 500-foot buffer zone between any marijuana establishment and schools, childcare facilities, parks, churches, libraries, playgrounds and youth centers. Appeals Court Justices Sookyoung Shin, Joseph M. Ditkoff and Maureen E. Walsh ruled Haverhill’s creation of overlay zones following voters’ approval of recreational cannabis did not result, as alleged, in “spot zoning.” They also acknowledged federal and state schoo1 zone statutes relating to “controlled substances,” but noted there is no outright ban as evidenced by use of such drugs by medical offices near schools.

Cannabis

Superior Court Judge Hears Back and Forth from City of Haverhill and Stem Over ‘Impact’ Fees

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A Superior Court judge heard arguments Thursday for and against the City of Haverhill’s request to dismiss most claims made against it by the owner of a downtown cannabis shop. Stem, 124 Washington St., defended its argument the retailer should not pay “community impact” fees until or unless the city proves there is an added cost to hosting cannabis businesses. The city said it would document those costs sometime after Aug. 24. Attorney Michelle E. Randazzo, representing Haverhill, explained “potential impacts are extraordinarily broad” and may include impacts in schools, increases in drug use and need for police activities.

Cannabis

City Council Narrowly Approves Haverhill Budget After Barrett Stays with Compromise She Negotiated

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The City of Haverhill has a new budget for the year that begins tomorrow after a city councilor stayed with a compromise she helped negotiate and reversed her vote in favor of Mayor James J. Fiorentini’s $217 million spending plan. City Council President Melinda E. Barrett last week voted with the majority against the proposed budget because of a disagreement over the creation of a special fund for mental health and youth recreation. Councilors then, by a vote of 5-4, favored creating a special dedicated account comprising all annual “local option” taxes the city is allowed to collect from cannabis retailers. The mayor, on the other hand, originally committed to $358,000 for one year. Barrett and the mayor met privately on Friday, however, and worked out a plan where the mayor guaranteed $500,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act money for one year to pay for the program.

Haverhill

Haverhill Councilors Reconsider $217 Million City Budget Tonight; Year Starts Thursday

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Haverhill City Councilors take up the city’s proposed $217 million spending plan tonight with little time to spare with the new budget year beginning Thursday. On the Council agenda is what appears to be an attempt at breaking the deadlock between a majority of the City Council and Mayor James J. Fiorentini. Councilors will consider an order placing $500,000 in cannabis “impact fees,” if collected, into an account for youth activities and mental health. The amount is an increase from the $358,000 the mayor suggested last week as a compromise, but falls short of the $700,000 some councilors requested. Fiorentini said he is willing to dedicate a portion of an impact fee, which is being challenged by at least one cannabis retailer, but not the undisputed local option tax.

Cannabis

McGonagle Breaks with Haverhill Administration on Cannabis Impact Fees, Backs Stem

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One Haverhill city councilor publicly broke with the city administration’s stance on cannabis “impact fees” last week and accepted a ceremonial check in non-disputed payments from a downtown retailer. Standing in front of City Hall Thursday, City Councilor Michael S. McGonagle accepted a ceremonial check for $365,796 from Stem Haverhill owner Caroline Pineau. The amount represents local option tax payments to the city during Stem’s first year of operation. McGonagle explained to WHAV why he is endorsing the local retailer. “I don’t think Caroline has gotten the right amount of credit for what she has done in opening her business.