Downtown Pot Shop Could Become Reality For Melrose

MELROSE, MA — The lower Washington Street area will not host one of the city's recreational marijuana stores, though now it appears the focus will turn to downtown.

The Planning Board on Monday night agreed to remove the lower Washington Street area from zoning considerations for recreational marijuana, citing a neighborhood outcry that caused the board to rework its initial amendment proposal. Much of that same feedback led the Planning Board to explore opening up a portion of Main Street to what would be the city's second recreational marijuana facility.

The Planning Board's recommendations will go to the Board of Aldermen, which must vote on them by mid-April.

The Planning Board could have recommended to cap the number recreational marijuana stores at one, effectively isolating it to the Newbury Turnpike area, where Garden Remedies currently operates the city's lone medical marijuana facility. Garden Remedies could open recreational sales in the same location - something the company is eager to do - if the city chooses it.

There was some support for the cap, but the opportunity for additional revenue from two stores proved too great - the city can draw a 3 percent excise tax on recreational marijuana sales. If the Board of Aldermen agrees to a cap of two, the question becomes where the second store would go.

The Planning Board's proposed zoning amendment would allow for a recreational pot shop on Main Street in certain areas between just south of City Hall to near Grove Street and just north of City Hall to near the Foster Street split. Where it would go within those areas would be explored after the zoning amendment is approved by the Board of Aldermen, if it indeed is. More details on the exact areas are expected shortly.

The initial proposed ordinance, which would have seen the lower Washington Street area be zoned for recreational marijuana, took a lot of heat two weeks ago at a joint meeting between the Planning Board and Board of Aldermen. Buoyed by his constituents, Ward 5 Alderman Shawn MacMaster requested the Planning Board revise the ordinance to not consider the area as a potential landing spot for a recreational marijuana shop.

The Planning Board said it received about eight emails since then in opposition to recreational marijuana in the area. Concerns touched on the area's close proximity to Little Sprouts day care, which opposed the store, as well as traffic, crime and odor.

City Planner Denise Gaffey had been open about the proposed amendment being meant as a means to take the temperature of the community - and when it reacted, the Planning Board listened.

"The proposed location would have exasperated many of the existing neighborhood problems, while bringing with it social impact costs and safety concerns that would unduly burden residents," MacMaster said in a statement Monday night. "When you also consider that the proposed location was within a recently established traffic safety zone and in the immediate vicinity of a daycare and preschool, it’s clear that this area was not the right fit for a retail marijuana facility." Read MacMaster's full statement below.

In the midst of the opposition to the lower Washington Street area, there was enough support for downtown to grab the Planning Board's attention.

Whichever area is zoned for the second recreational marijuana store, there will be a lot of debate. The city voted in favor of 2016's Question 4 but only by the narrowest of margins: 51.6 in favor, 48.4 opposed. But as the Planning Board's John Sadowski said Monday night, "Whether it's 51 percent or 99 percent in favor, it carries, right? We have an obligation as a community to follow through and do what we're doing here."

There is the possibility of having both recreational marijuana facilities in the Newbury Turnpike area, but the Planning Board was skeptical of a competing store opening so close to Garden Remedies.

There is, of course, also the possibility of the Board of Aldermen capping the amount of recreational marijuana stores at one, but then Melrose runs the risk of a neighboring town such as Malden opening one up near Melrose, losing the revenue while sharing in the burden.

Alderman Shawn MacMaster's full statement:

The lower Washington Street neighborhood has experienced significant changes over the last few years. The addition of 482 new housing units has increased motor vehicle and pedestrian traffic, and the new traffic configuration at Washington Street and Stone Place has been a point of contention for many residents. The proposed location would have exasperated many of the existing neighborhood problems, while bringing with it social impact costs and safety concerns that would unduly burden residents. When you also consider that the proposed location was within a recently established traffic safety zone and in the immediate vicinity of a daycare and preschool, it’s clear that this area was not the right fit for a retail marijuana facility.

I am thankful to the residents of Ward 5 who offered their input as well as to the Planning Board for its thoughtful discussion, its careful deliberation, and for being responsive to the concerns of the neighborhood.

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Photo by Mike Carraggi, Patch