SAUGUS — The Avalon Motel could soon become a Cannabis dispensary should NortheastCann, which became the latest company to hold a Community Outreach Meeting last week, win approval from Town Manager Scott Crabtree and the Board of Selectmen.
The company already owns dispensaries in Swansea and Rockaway, NJ, as well as a dispensary, cultivation, and manufacturing facility in Kingston, though none of the facilities have officially opened their doors. NortheastCann is also in the process of pursuing a location in Rhode Island, said the company’s chief executive officer, Gabriel T. Ruz Jr.
The Saugus facility at 1529 Broadway would become the company’s flagship property.
“We’re hoping that the Saugus retail can really be the gem of our organization,” said Nicholas Gomes, the company’s attorney, noting that NortheastCann is seeking to be vertically integrated so they can control each step of the process. Attorney Samuel Vitali serves as NortheastCann’s “legal advisor,” and Gomes said Vitali’s local ties, with an office in Lynn, are critically important.
NortheastCann has employed Setronics, a “start to finish security outlet” that has provided security for 50 dispensaries, to handle security at their proposed Saugus facility. While the company did not yet have a finalized security plan for the Saugus location, officials emphasized that it is a top priority.
“Security is the top tier of our obligation,” said Gomes. “Having a secure location both inside as well as outside with full motoring 24/7 of exterior and interior comings and goings. We are making this entire area a safer location.”
The company’s head of security, Allen Correiro, is a Fall River police officer and former marine.
Emphasis was placed on the design of the facility during the presentation, with Interior Designer Rick Granoff explaining his vision for the Saugus location and the company touting the work of Architect David Barsky.
“It’s very easy just to grab an existing building, slap a logo on it, open the doors, and begin a cannabis business. It’s more challenging to do what we’re doing but we believe it’s the right approach for Saugus,” said Ruz.
“What we want to do here is create an environment that is indigenous to the Saugus community so that’s important for consumers going to our facility and enjoying the experience,” Granoff said.
During the presentation, Gomes said the company would be upgrading the current site by replacing the motel and fitting in with recent developments in the area, including on Collins Avenue.
“We are trying to revitalize an underutilized prime location,” he said, noting that the motel landlord is considering expansion of the property into a state-operated homeless shelter.
Should the facility open, it would operate between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., said Gomes. He explained that the company wants to highlight the natural background on the lot, complementing it with a modern building that they hope will appear as a landmark on Route 1. The property would feature 30 parking spaces and take up roughly 5,000 square feet, he said.
Board of Selectmen Chair Anthony Cogliano, who moderated the meeting as he has done for at least four other companies, said he was “blown away” by the proposed design for the interior and exterior of the building.
“You did a phenomenal job,” he said.
Gomes stressed that anyone who enters the building will have their ID checked to ensure they are 21 or above and that IDs will be again checked during the checkout process. The company emphasized the importance of training staff in preventing diversion of product to minors.
The property is also in compliance with the town’s zoning requirements, Gomes said, noting that the site is not located within 1,000 feet of a school, park or playground, library or museum, and is not within 1,000 feet of the nearest place of worship.
In 2022, the nearly 300 dispensaries statewide generated $1.4 billion in sales, said Attorney Sean Coleman.
Should the company be allowed to open in Saugus, they would provide the town with the maximum local impact fee of 3 percent of sales, in addition to increased tax revenue, said Coleman. He explained that NortheastCann wants to become a “partner” for the town, and a member of the community.
“When you’re choosing a company like NortheastCann, you’re choosing someone who’s trying to do the right thing,” said Gomes.
The company also put forward several specific proposals for positive community impact, including funding a redesign and update of Stackpole Field, Anna Parker Playground, and Golden Hills Playground.
Cogliano, who led the charge to allow dispensaries in town, said he cited Stackpole, Anna Park, and Golden Hills when he made his pitch to Town Meeting last May.
“Those areas are in deplorable shape,” he said. “We need to address these areas and by bringing these types of establishments in we can raise the money to fix up those areas.”
The Community Outreach Meeting is a state-mandated part of the application process, but applicants will still be required to complete a request for information issued by Crabtree’s office. As part of that process, they will have to make their pitch to Crabtree and other town officials before they can go before the Board of Selectmen and obtain an S2 permit.
“We’re really excited about putting that request for information package forward to the town,” Gomes said. “The decisions that are made over the next 90, 120 days is going to set the landscape for Saugus into the future in really tapping this industry.”
