WELLS, Maine — The town is now considering capping the number of registered medical marijuana dispensaries in the community at three.
That’s two more than the town originally considered as part of the proposed retroactive ordinance that local officials have been considering. If approved, the cap of three would correspond with the one dispensary already operating in Wells and the proposals for two more dispensaries currently before the local Planning Board.
That number is not fixed and could be subject to change as discussions continue, Wells Select Board Chair John MacLeod said. MacLeod said the town would like to hear more input from the public on the matter.
During a meeting on Jan. 3, the Select Board voted unanimously to direct the Planning Board to hold a public hearing on the proposed amendment to the town’s Land Use Ordinance. The hearing will take place at the Planning Board’s meeting on Feb. 6, Town Engineer Mike Livingston confirmed.
According to the town charter, the Select Board has the authority to amend the town’s Land Use Ordinance if the town’s planner, code enforcement officer and a majority of the Planning Board and Board of Appeals “all concur that immediate action is required to provide clarity and/or guidance” in the administration of the ordinance.
Bulrush eyes marijuana dispensary on Post Road
On Monday, the Planning Board accepted a site plan application from Bulrush LLC, that proposes to establish a registered medical marijuana dispensary in the currently vacant plaza at 279 Post Road.
The project calls for a single-story, 7,850-square-foot building of five units to be built – although, in addition to the dispensary, the number of tenants at the plaza could be flexible, according to the property owner, Thomas Platz.
Most of the Planning Board’s initial discussion of the application centered on the parking layout proposed for the project.
Currently, Curaleaf, located at 913 Post Road, is the only marijuana dispensary in Wells. The dispensary is one of the eight original, registered ones licensed by the state.
Recreational marijuana facilities are now allowed in Wells, according to Livingston.
Hazy Hill Farm marijuana dispensary moves forward
In December, the Planning Board heard from another applicant proposing to open a dispensary at 1616 Post Road. The dispensary is proposed for the middle one of three buildings at the site, which is within the town’s General Business District. The other two structures are approved for single-family dwellings.
David Stephenson, the owner of Hazy Hill Farm, a cannabis store in Portland, pushed back against what were then the town’s efforts to cap the number of dispensaries in Wells at one. He told the board that he wanted to move forward with the planning process, so that “I can try filling out the storefront this winter, as opposed to just sitting around and paying rent all winter.”
At the time of the meeting in December, the town maintained that the original ordinance, enacted in 2011, called for only one registered marijuana dispensary in the community. Stephenson said he disagreed and added that he had spoken with his attorney about the current ordinance.
“In fact, all the language referencing dispensaries is plural,” he said. “It’s not singular.”
The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the Hazy Hill application during its next meeting on Monday, Jan. 23. Also that evening, the board will discuss the proposed retroactive ordinance during a workshop, according to Livingston.
