LYNN — Ward 1 City Councilor Wayne Lozzi is opposed to a proposed pot shop on Chestnut Street. His opposition may kill the proposal.
Heather Hannon, owner and chief executive officer of Essex Apothecary, is proposing a boutique recreational marijuana shop at 548 Chestnut St.
“It’s just not a good fit for that neighborhood,” said Lozzi, whose ward includes the proposed shop location. “I realize as a city councilor that the city of Lynn voted for recreational marijuana. However, it needs to be located in the right place and I don’t think this is the right fit for that type of business.”
Lozzi said there are other places in the ward that would be a better fit for a pot shop, such as Boston Street, Goodwin Circle or Western Avenue.
A neighborhood meeting was held on Wednesday for the proposed shop, which Lozzi said was well-attended by about 80 residents.
Support and opposition from neighbors was about even, he said, with concerns centering around parking, traffic, its proximity to St. Pius V School and how it wouldn’t fit with the image of the residential neighborhood.
“I went into it with an open mind, but enough residents made it clear to me that it’s not a good location,” Lozzi said. “Personally, I think if adults want to smoke pot, it’s OK, but my concern is with kids. I don’t think it’s good for teenagers. Personally, I voted ‘no’ on recreational marijuana. I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
Hannon was more optimistic about the feedback she’s received on her proposal.
“I thought we had a successful meeting (on Wednesday) and got some great feedback from our neighbors that we’re considering carefully and working into our plans,” she said. “We look forward to working with the city and our neighbors to bring a great neighborhood cannabis boutique to Lynn.”
But Ward 2 Councilor Rick Starbard, chairman of the City Council’s Recreational Site Plan Review Committee, said it would be difficult for a pot shop proposal to move forward without the ward councilor’s support.
In a similar case, a cultivator, Wicked Frosty Farms, withdrew its proposal to grow marijuana on Bennett Street last month after Ward 6 Councilor Fred Hogan came out in opposition, with the company’s attorney calling it the “death knell” for their plans at the site.
If the proposal moves forward, the next step would be for the company to appear before the Recreational Site Plan Review Committee before it could seek its special permit from the City Council, according to Starbard.
Starbard said he was in favor of the proposal, as he thought it was a good location right off of Western Avenue. He said people were concerned about traffic and parking, but pointed out that since the building has a rear parking lot, it has more parking than other pot shops that have been approved in the city.
“It was going to be more boutique-style, smaller size,” Starbard said. “I thought it was a good location for the type of store she wanted to open.”
According to the Essex Apothecary website, the company is aiming for a June 2019 opening.
