Planners approve third outlet for marijuana sales in Newton

NEWTON - The three potential cannabis retail outlets for town have Planning Board approval following Wednesday's unanimous vote for a former auto repair business on Mill Street be converted to a marijuana sales site.

Dylan Faner, who owns the site at 78 Mill St., and ran KRP Auto Repair there before moving the business to Franklin, appeared before the board with two consultants for nearly three hours to answer questions about converting the building on the half-acre site, built in 1960, into a dispensary.

Earlier this month, the Town Council approved Curiosity Cannabis to open a retail operation at 70-72 Mill St. Those two shops are across the street from where a manufacturing business, which has filed plans before town and state approving agencies, want to establish a business which would take marijuana plants, once harvested, and turn them into cannabis products.

The third site, which received town approval several months ago, is located at 117 Water St. Known as Newton CB LLC, the owners include the Romano family, principals in the company which owns ShopRite markets.

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Brian Sikora, a consultant to marijuana businesses in New Jersey, New York and Maryland, and is working with Faner on setting up Releaf Newton LLC, said state regulations outline most physical aspects of the retail store, right down to how salespeople can't take cash for most purchases.

The interior of the one-story, concrete block building will contain an entrance/reception area where customers must wait until there is fewer than a specified number of people in the sales area. In that reception area, however, customers will likely be able to use tablets or other internal communications to view and select their purchases.

Once admitted through an electronically locked sales area, the customer gets and pays for the purchase, then leaves by what is known as a "man trap" set of doors. Only one of the two doors in the exit way can be open at any time.

Sikora said it is hoped much of the store's business will be from people who call ahead and stop for "curb service."

There will be a public restroom, an office and an employee break room. There will also be a secure product vault and since it is on an outside wall, although the wall is visible from the street, there will be vibration sensors attached or built into the walls.

Security is a prime concern, noted Sikora, and there will be at least two armed security officers plus near-total video coverage of the interior and parts of the exterior of the building. In addition, there will be several methods of alerting police to problems or issues.

Jesse Moore, the architect on the project told the board, "This is the easiest building I've ever done. Nothing needed to be done."

The current sign on the building will be made smaller, to meet code, and the standing sign curbside with Mill Street, will be restored with the Releaf name on glass panels which will be lighted from within.

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Project engineer Joe Golden noted that the current building, which was erected in 1960, does not meet zoning requirements because "it's too short, not too tall."

Under the town's zoning ordinance, buildings in the zone must be at least two stories tall. However, the code section was not put in place until this century.

The other concern was the requirement for a four-foot tall chain link fence to be built between 78 Mill St., and 80 Mill St. The fence would have to go at least a foot from the adjoining property, but that would put the fence in the parking lot. The curb from that lot is just 6 inches from the property line.

After much discussion, it was left up to Golden and the neighboring owners to decide what might be done, but the 4-foot fence had to be built.

The approvals were granted by a unanimous vote. The Town Council has final formal approval over granting the special use as a cannabis business. However the council already approved two other retail stores.

Newton has a "cannabis tax" on the books. There is a percentage tax on the sales of cannabis product in retail stores in town, as well as a tax on the worth of cannabis as it passes hands from grower, to manufacturer, to delivery to retail sales.

This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: Newton NJ third outlet approved for marijuana sales