Hometown Harvest to open retail marijuana store in Athol
Published: 12-06-2024 1:51 PM |
ATHOL – The Board of Planning and Community Development has granted a special permit to Hometown Harvest LLC to open a retail marijuana establishment at 243 Main St., the former home of Elev8 Cannabis.
Nicholas Obolensky, one of Hometown Harvest’s partners, told the BPCD during Wednesday’s public hearing, “We’re hoping to have a much friendlier business than the prior establishment, from what I’ve gathered. I don’t know a lot about it; just what I’ve read in the papers. We’re seeking to have a very ordinary, small dispensary.”
Last March, the state Cannabis Control Commission suspended Elev8’s license, citing 10 violations of regulations, including staff lacking required training, adding that the business presented an “immediate or serious threat to public health, safety or welfare.” In October of last year, the Selectboard terminated the Host Community Agreement with Elev8 owner Olawaseun Adedeji.
Obolensky and another Hometown partner, Michael Grasso, were accompanied by several former employees of Orange Cannabis Company – individuals, said Grasso, who will end up working at Hometown when it opens. Grasso said he had been a part of Orange Cannabis “and we’re all really excited to get back to work with some real locals and help serve the community. We’re all really happy to be able to be here and to have another opportunity to be, essentially, a part of the same community we were serving before.”
“We’re basically a crew of people who have experience in the industry but haven’t had our own business before,” said Obolensky. “Now we have an opportunity to take all this prior experience we’ve had – we know operations, management – to put that all together and to run the store here.”
Board Chair David Small said he had reviewed plans for the establishment and noted that the floor and parking plans were essentially the same as those used by Elev8, and Police Chief Craig Lundgren had reviewed and approved the security plans. Athol Planning and Development Director Eric Smith said that Lundgren wrote he had “no concerns” regarding proposed security at the store.
Smith also noted that planned improvements for Lord Pond Plaza will put an end to vehicles cutting through the parking lot at 243 Main St. in order to get to the plaza. Pending improvements to Freedom Street will also improve traffic flow, he said.
“We’re not really looking to reinvent the wheel,” said Obolensky, “just bring a better, stronger caliber management team to the business.”
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Documents submitted by Obolensky and his partners indicate Hometown Harvest would be open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday.
“Everything I’ve read on this,” said board member Marc Morgan, “they’ve done a good job with this. It makes me feel better than what we had there before.”
In response to a question from board member Rick Hayden, Obolensky confirmed that Hometown Harvest, like all cannabis businesses, must hold onto 90 days worth of security video.
“It’s required by the Cannabis Control Commission,” said Obolensky.
Several members of the public, including potential employees of Hometown, spoke in favor of the BPCD granting the special permit. No one spoke in opposition.
At the conclusion of the public hearing, the board voted unanimously to approve the permit.
Obolensky is hoping a Host Community Agreement with Athol can be approved at the Dec. 17 Selectboard meeting. He said he has been in regular communication with Town Counsel John Barrett, who was at the Dec. 4 public hearing, to finalize wording on the HCA.
Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.