CHICOPEE — A company which plans to start a “seed-to-sale” marijuana business in Willimansett will not be open for at least 18 months, if it is able to get licensed by the state.
Revolution Greencare LLC is applying to open a cultivation and distribution facility and recreational store in an industrial building at 30-60 Buckley Boulevard that is best known as the former Piels Brewery that closed in the 1980s. The partners in the company include Adam Brady, who has owned the building for two or three years and serves as president, David L. Peskin, president of Creative Chemicals of Holyoke.
Wednesday company officials held a community meeting about the plans, which is required under the state permitting law.
About 40 people, including two City Councilors and a man interested in opening his own retail marijuana store, attended the meeting. Some asked questions about parking and traffic but most said they were just there to listen.
The proposal calls for the company to use about 27,500 square feet of space to cultivate the plants and the remaining space in the about 65,000-square feet of space will be used for retail and other purposes, said Joseph Martins, project manager for the company.
While part of the business will be retail, Martins said owners hope to develop a reputation for a quality product and build the business by selling to other retailers.
Nearly everything the company must do to open – from adding a vegetative buffer and installing security cameras to developing waste disposal systems and using air scrubbers to prevent the smell of cannabis from wafting through the neighborhood – is prescribed by the state Cannabis Commission or the city’s ordinances, Martins said.
Community meeting set on proposed marijuana retail and growing facility in Chicopee
Revolution Greencare LLC said it intends to invest more than $15 million developing a marijuana facility on Buckley Boulevard in Willimansett to include cultivation, distribution and retail operations.
“No matter which applicant comes before you, if they don’t meet these (state regulations) they aren’t coming to your neighborhood,” he said.
It will take at least 18 months to receive state and city permits and to renovate the building. The company will also need time to grow enough marijuana to have sufficient stock to start selling, Martins said.
The company expects to spend between $15 and $20 million upgrading the building, which Martins called mostly a shell that is currently an eyesore. Although the company is applying for a recreational permit, everything will be done to a higher standard to meet medical marijuana requirements in case owners decide they want to apply for a permit for that later, he said.
The one thing the company has already established is a host agreement with Mayor Richard J. Kos. That agreement calls for the city to receive about 3 percent of the annual profits, which Martins estimated at between $15 and $16 million by the second or third year of operations. Along with paying property taxes and the about $450,000 share of profits, the company has also agreed to donate $25,000 a year to a charitable or non-profit organization in the city, Martins said.
The company will initially hire about 32 full-time employees and an additional 10 to 20 part-time people will be needed mostly during harvesting. If the business grows as expected an additional 10 full-time employees would be needed in the second year of operation and 10 more may be hired in the third year, he said.
While he said an increase in traffic would be negligible, with fewer than 120 cars added a day, some residents said they were concerned the traffic is already difficult in that area and there are backups during rush hours.
Carol Campbell, owner of Chicopee Industrial Contractors, questioned if there will be problems with traffic and parking in the small and oddly-designed industrial park where the building is located. There is a lot of tractor trailer truck traffic from several companies, including hers, located in the park. In addition, there is a new brewery opening in the park.
“The parking spaces will not be enough and traffic will increase,” she said.
Martins said the company will only need 12 parking spaces for the retail portion, including two dedicated handicap spots, but she questioned where employees will park.
The city’s Planning Board will review the requirements for parking and variances are difficult to obtain. The City Council will have the final say in granting a local license, City Councilor William Courchesne said.
Chicopee mulls marijuana ordinance: Bans retail near schools, prisons, parks
The majority of voters in Chicopee cast ballots in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana.
The building otherwise does exceed ordinance specifications that prevent marijuana businesses to be located distances ranging from 250 to 1,000 feet from schools, churches, day care facilities, churches, prisons, drug rehabilitation centers and other places where children under 18 congregate, Martins said.
“Our goal isn’t to come and make a bunch of enemies,” Martins said, pledging to work with neighbors and the city.
Five companies including Revolution Greencare submitted plans for recreational marijuana shops by the August 2018 deadline. The city will allow up to four recreational licenses.
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