Dennis shows support for recreational marijuana shops, but measure falls short

SOUTH YARMOUTH — A Dennis town meeting vote Tuesday night to allow recreational marijuana shops in town failed by a vote of 130-98, shy of a two-thirds majority required on the citizens' petition warrant article. The 57% favorable vote was short about 20 votes of passing.

Dennis resident Kyle Pedicini, who presented the petition, said he was pleased that more 50% of town meeting voters were in favor of lifting the ban.

“It’s only a matter of time,” he told several people who came up to him after the meeting to express their support and help for future efforts.

The article to amend the current zoning bylaw that bans recreational marijuana retail outlets was the only one of 28 on the meeting warrant that generated discussion from residents. All other articles, mostly budgetary, passed easily with little comment.

The meeting at the D-Y Intermediate School auditorium lasted just over an hour.

Several voters spoke in favor of reversing the ban for various reasons and only one woman spoke against it, saying she sided with the Planning Board, which voted 4-1 against the change. The Select Board’s recommendation was 3-1-0 against the article while the Finance Committee voted 3-2-0 not to recommend it. None of three boards explained their reasons in detail.

After the meeting, Select Board Chairman Chris Lambton explained the board’s negative recommendation.

“It would be better to have the town write it and the legal counsel vet it,” he said. He also said the idea should be subject to a ballot question because the measure's wording showed no method for collecting taxes.

Dennisport resident Brien Hines called for the Select Board to makes its case for opposing the proposal, which he favored because of the money it would generate for the town. He said the town counsel would have to vet the petitioned article anyway for the special permits required.

In presenting the petition with some amendments Tuesday, Pedicini said he used Brewster’s recreational marijuana bylaw and Dennis’s existing medical marijuana bylaw to draft it. The number of establishments would be limited to fewer than 20% of the licenses for retail alcohol stores, which would be two, he said.

“We’re a little behind the towns on Cape Cod,” Pedicini said regarding recreational cannabis stores. Bourne, Brewster and Sandwich recently reversed their bans, he said. No other venues to obtain recreational marijuana exist in Mid-Cape, he said.

Pedicini argued the stores would produce significant money for the town. As an example, he showed that Mashpee took in $350,857 in one year and estimated Dennis could take in more than half a million dollars from the retail stores.

Pedicini said the new establishments would have no impact on product demand or use and that no towns in Massachusetts with the recreational marijuana stores have had any problems.

“The proper things to do is tax and regulate. It’s free tax revenue,” he said, and noted the town’s pending $200 million town sewer project needs to be paid for.

Pedicini’s amendment to his original proposal withdrew stores in two areas of Dennisport Village Center, saying “Dennisport is not ready for it.” The outlets would only be allowed in an industrial zone off Route 6 and a commercial zone off Hokum Rock Road. He also withdrew a section that would require a security plan for the stores from the police and fire chiefs. The amendments were adopted on a vote of 161-50.

Most of the residents’ arguments favored the extra revenue the shops could bring to the town. One woman mentioned that the stores would create good paying jobs and help keep the tax rate down. Resident Gail Spector said she is a cannabis user along with her friends and family who have to go to other towns to buy the product. “I would like to support the local businesses,” she said.

Another woman said she voted for the proposed bylaw even though she is not a cannabis user. She said she believes the town needs more revenue. Noting recent federal endorsements of legalizing marijuana, she said would eliminate any conflicts with the state law.

Town meeting voters in Dennis pass budget

In other articles, voters passed unanimously the town’s fiscal 2025 operating budget of $47.4 million, an increase of about $2.7 million over the current budget. Voters also approved officials’ salaries and the Cape Cod Regional Technical assessment of $1.8 million.

The Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School Committee Chairperson, Jeni Landers, spoke on the school budget total of $80.9 million and the Dennis assessment and debt service total of $20.8 million. She described significant challenges to the budget for staff, utilities, transportation and loss of COVID and post-COVID funding, resulting in significant cuts in staff and resources. She thanked the residents for their support and the budget passed unanimously.

Selectman Jim Plath explained a potential Proposition 2 ½ override to replace an old fire truck and ambulance for $2.9 million. He called it “a once-in-a-lifetime purchase,” but said the override may not be necessary if other funding is found in the next two or three years. The article passed on a two-thirds majority vote.

Several other approved articles related to the upcoming sewer projects, including easements for pumping stations and an enterprise fund for the operation and maintenance of the future wastewater plant.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Dennis town meeting OKs $47.4 million municipal budget