Apotho Therapeutics cannabis business has plans for a new location in Dartmouth

DARTMOUTH — A host community agreement with a recreational marijuana retailer has been signed by the Select Board, but the location on Route 6 still faces scrutiny.

The vote was 4-1 with Select Board member Shawn McDonald voting against approval. He said the proximity to the hotel next door to the proposed Apotho Therapeutics retail store is concerning, and there should be an 8-foot fence, not the existing 6-foot fence between it and the retail store.

He also said there should be outside security monitoring the site even when the store is closed despite all the cameras that will be placed around the property as required by the state. He said the traffic along Route 6 is also a major concern.

“I’m not happy with where the facility is going because of all the problems next door that the town has habitually had with its clientele, and I would say for the most part the clientele there is pretty good, but they do have their unsavory characters,” he said.

Brothers Andrew and Mathew Medeiros started Apotho Therapeutics in September 2018, and the company opened its first recreational marijuana retail store in February 2021 on Route 1 in Plainville.

They plan on converting a former restaurant site at 747 State Road into a retail location while also utilizing the former Dartmouth Indoor Tennis site behind it as a cultivation facility.

At the meeting with the Select Board, Mathew Medeiros assured the Select Board that they will comply with all Cannabis Community Commission requirements when it comes to safety and addressed concerns about the number of customers exiting Route 6 to go into the retail store at one time.

Medeiros said they can do something similar to what they do in Plainville where they are also located on a major route through town. He also tried to allay concerns that there could be more business than anticipated.

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He said no appointment is needed for anyone age 21 or older to shop there, but they can mitigate traffic by scheduling online orders so that there is a limit on the number of orders per hour. He said they also worked closely with the police department in Plainville to address traffic concerns and can do the same.

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Zoning for recreational marijuana and cultivation

A zoning district for recreational marijuana retail establishments and cultivation facilities on Faunce Corner Road was created by the Planning Board and approved at Town Meeting.

A recreational marijuana retail store is under construction on Faunce Corner Road in the zone approved at Town Meeting, but that’s not the case with the Apotho facilities.

When the tennis court property was suggested as a location for cultivation, the Zoning Board of Appeals granted the variance where Town Meeting had voted to not allow it.

Select Board Chairman David Tatelbaum said he is very concerned about the location and making sure that the rules are followed. As he explained, board members have questions about the granting of variances.

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Tatelbaum said the Select Board has scheduled a workshop with the Zoning Board in September to discuss how its members interpret their role when it comes to granting variances because they are doing so on a case-by-case basis.

“Over the years, in our view, they have not paid that much attention to the town’s will or of committees and boards around town when they look at it strictly from a case-by-case basis from what they perceive as a reason to give a variance,” he said.

The Select Board approved the host community agreement with Apotho for manufacturing and cultivation a few months ago. The town’s approval is another step in a lengthy process before the Cannabis Control Commission.

A variance for Apotho’s retail facility was granted by the Zoning Board in July 2021, and site plan approval was granted in January. Site plan review was required because it’s in the general business/aquifer protection district. There would be 27 parking spaces that could be shared as needed.

The town would receive at least 3 percent of the gross sales as a community impact fee, a $50,000 annual contribution and 3 percent of the excise tax payments to the state based on gross sales from the finalized agreement. The town is expected to receive approximately $1.5 million from 2022 to 2025.

The company has committed to making its “best effort” to hire at least 50 percent of its staff of 26 employees from Dartmouth.

The proposed business hours for the Apotho Therapeutics retail store are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Sunday. The goal is to open by December.

Standard-Times staff writer Kathryn Gallerani can be reached at kgallerani@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @kgallreporter. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Recreational marijuana dispensary gets Dartmouth approval on Route 6