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HOLYOKE – The city’s marijuana industry continues to expand as the City Council granted special permits Tuesday for retail and cultivation operations downtown.

The Ordinance Committee recommended approving special permits for Tigertown LLC, Mill Town Agricultural LLC, Bold Coast Solutions LLC, and Victoria Frost LLC.

All retail, medical, and cultivation marijuana facilities must obtain local approval or a special permit to get an operating license from the Massachusetts Cannabis Commission, the Commonwealth’s enforcement agency.

The special permits come with standard conditions set forth by the City Council for all cannabis businesses:

  • That the owner of the building always pay commercial property tax rate to the extent allowed by federal, state, and local laws for the duration of the special permit;
  • That the business retain a minimum of 30% Holyoke residents for nonsecurity jobs;
  • Hiring preference given to security personnel who are retired Holyoke Police or are a retired member of another police department who lives in Holyoke;
  • There shall be no marijuana consumption allowed on-site;
  • No deliveries of retail or medical marijuana from the site to individual homes, residences or people;
  • That hours of operation be 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday;
  • Asphalt sidewalk constructed south of the building to the abutting property line to provide safe travel routes;
  • The Zoning Board grants setback requirement reliefs sought by applicants.

Mill Town Agricultural, which proposes a manufacturing, cultivation and extraction facility at 1 Cabot St., must provide formal documents locating current sanitary sewer service and “confirms it is separate from any roof or storm drains.”

Bold Coast plans a “legal cannabis product manufacturing” facility at 28D Appleton St, while Victoria Frost LLC submitted plans a cannabis growing, manufacturing and dispensary for the 679-689 Main St. site.

Councilor Rebecca Lisi, who chairs the Ordinance Committee, said the Victoria Frost LLC project is vast and would likely “trigger” an extensive site-plan review.

“It’s exciting to see all these different projects coming forward,” Lisi said. “It’s a good fit for the city, considering the vacant mill space that we have in the area. We want to see folks coming in.”

Lisi added that demand for marijuana projects would continue, and the increased economic activity is good for Holyoke.

Tigertown LLC applied for a permit to operate a retail marijuana facility at 56 Jackson St. The City Council changed the parking limit around the building to 30-minutes from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

The Planning Board must conduct site-plan reviews, and the city engineer must sign-off on traffic schemes for all projects. The council voted 11-1 to grant the special permits with Councilor Howard Greaney voting no.

The Ordinance Committee reopened a public hearing for Exotica Farms LLC. The committee ordered the company to provide final operational and architectural plans and correct an outstanding environmental issue left by the previous owner of 5 Appleton St.

The committee continued the Exotica Farms public hearing to Aug. 25 at 6:30 p.m.

Holyoke’s first recreational marijuana retail store opened in July. Canna Provisions launched a store at 380 Dwight St., only blocks from City Hall. The company also has locations in Lee and Easthampton.

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