Could Quincy support 5 pot shops? Pharmacist applies for permit

QUINCY − A Braintree pharmacist wants to open a recreational marijuana store in Quincy.

The pharmacist, David Lang, is seeking city officials' permission to open Pinnacle Cannabis at the intersection of Water and Liberty streets.

This would be Lang's first cannabis business venture, and Lang's experience working in the highly regulated pharmaceutical sector makes him an ideal candidate to manage a marijuana dispensary, his attorney said.

Lang needs a special permit and two variances from the city's zoning board of appeals before opening the store.

Quincy's only recreational marijuana store, Quincy Cannabis Co., opened in March. Four other people have expressed interest in opening shops in Quincy, including Lang.

The 2,500-square-foot building, which sits on a 7,200-square-foot paved lot, is home to Liberty Street Automotive Services, which is still in operation. Owner James Feeley would lease the property to Lang. City assessors value the property at $341,000.

What is Pinnacle Cannabis asking of the Quincy Zoning Board of Appeals?

All recreational marijuana facilities seeking to do business in Quincy must obtain a special permit from the city's zoning board. Lang also needs relief from two setback ordinances.

Under Quincy's zoning laws, marijuana dispensaries must be at least 1,500 feet from a residential district, but the proposed shop would be only 115 feet away, according to city documents.

The stores are also supposed to be at least 500 feet from public parks, but a small park is 45 feet away from the property.

Citing traffic concerns, the board continues the hearing to Sept. 12

Zoning board members voiced concerns about traffic issues, partly because of the proximity of a BJ's Gas station on the other side of Liberty Street.

"The traffic there is terrible," board member John Himmel said at an Aug. 22 meeting. "I can't imagine this is not going to add to a horrible corner. You've got a couple sets of lights. They back up terribly. I get off there to go home every night. It's a mess."

The change from an auto repair shop to a marijuana store would improve traffic flow, said Lang's lawyer, Phil Silverman.

He said that on average 10 customers would come through the store in an hour, spending about 8 to 10 minutes per visit. Now, he said, about 20 vehicles sit parked in the lot awaiting repairs, which leaves little maneuverability for cars entering and exiting.

"I think (the proposed dispensary) is less harmful than what you have there now," Silverman said.

In a telephone call, Silverman told The Patriot Ledger that many recreational cannabis customers preorder their purchases, which he said streamlines transactions and alleviates potential traffic burdens.

"The order's actually waiting for them. … Everyone historically has had concerns about traffic at these places, but you'd be very hard pressed to find any issues with any of those dispensaries at this point."

Vice Chair Brian Radell asked Silverman if Lang would have a traffic study conducted. Silverman agreed and will return for the next scheduled meeting Tuesday, Sept. 12.

"(The traffic report) would be beneficial to all of us, just to see what kind of trip traffic we'd be looking at," Radell said.

Most of the dispensary's clientele would be local, Silverman told the board. Five years ago, when recreational marijuana became legal in Massachusetts, people would drive across the state and form long lines at the few existing stores, he said.

"You just don't see that anymore," he said. "This is more like a local neighborhood liquor store or pharmacy in terms of your patronage."

Marijuana dispensary security: A strictly regulated and monitored industry

Silverman said there would be interior and exterior video monitoring, including 360-degree surveillance on the outside of the building, which is monitored from an off-site security office at all times. He said there would also be a security presence on the property during business hours.

Silverman said shipment procedures are strictly regulated and drop-offs take about two minutes to complete. It is standard to use random routes and drop-off times.

"We can't have a pattern develop," he said.

Business hours would be 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays, the same allowed for liquor stores, Silverman said.

He told The Patriot Ledger that Pinnacle Cannabis could open in 12 to 14 months. In the meantime, Lang will undertake the permitting process in Quincy and the licensing process through the state Cannabis Control Commission. Silverman said Lang has applied for a provisional license from the state. The building would also undergo substantial renovation.

Are more dispensaries coming to Quincy?

Multistate cannabis company MariMed acquired the medical marijuana store on Ricciuti Drive formerly owned by Ermont and reopened as Panacea Wellness in March. The new ownership is pursuing a recreational license for the Ricciuti Drive site with plans to build retail space alongside and separate from its medical cannabis store.

Two more businesses have proposed sites for recreational marijuana dispensaries and held community meetings to answer neighbors' questions and concerns, the first step in Quincy's permitting process.

Wildflower Cannabis LLC, co-owned by Maggie Suprey, has plans to open a dispensary at 159 Brook Road. Chill and Bliss LLC, whose listed principal is Kimberly Wall, wants to open a recreational cannabis store at 503 Quincy Ave.

These businesses haven't yet come before the Quincy Zoning Board of Appeals for a special permit and any required variances.

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Reach Peter Blandino at pblandino@patriotledger.com.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Pot dispensary wants to open shop in South Quincy near BJ's Gas