WESTBROOK

To garner more community feedback on proposed zoning regulations concerning marijuana sales, the town of Westbrook has launched a survey on its website for citizens to weigh in.

Town Planner Peter Gillespie said that town officials were surprised that few residents had weighed in on the issue, so the idea of a survey was proposed in order to gauge citizen’s reactions before the Commission makes a ruling.

At a public hearing in April, two members of the public showed up to speak at the hearing, one who was against allowing marijuana retail sales in town and one who was for it.

In 2021, Connecticut legislators passed a bill, legalizing recreational marijuana use by adults 18 and older. That bill left it up to local municipalities to decide whether recreational marijuana retail would be allowed to operate within town limits.

In Westbrook, the Zoning Commission has proposed two different zoning text amendment applications. One amendment would place a moratorium on cannabis applications for at least six months, allowing additional time to consider any possible regulations. The second proposed amendment would, if enacted, set standards to allow retail marijuana stores as special permit in the neighborhood commercial district, the turnpike interchange district, the industrial district, and the light industrial district. Cultivators would not be allowed in the neighborhood commercial district.

The moratorium was approved at a May 23 Zoning Commission meeting, while the proposed regulations remain as an open application. Having a moratorium in place prevents any applicants from applying to change the zoning or apply to open a retail cannabis store while the Commission takes time to further study the issue.

“If the town were to do nothing, state law says that if an application is received, it must be treated as a similar use. Therefore, if a town wishes to unilaterally prohibit these uses, it must adopt regulations to do so,” said then-zoning enforcement officer Michael D’Amato earlier in 2022.

Under the proposed regulations, retailers would not be allowed in the same building as a childcare facility or church and cannot be located adjacent to playgrounds, parks, or schools. The stores can only operate between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.

Any proposal for a retail store would need a plan that details hours of operation, security, signage, parking circulation, and odor mitigation steps.

D’ Amato said earlier in 2022 that due to restrictions from the state, Westbrook would be limited to only one retail and one cultivation establishment until 2024 because of its population.

“If a retail establishment were to open in Westbrook, three percent of the taxes generated by these sales will be transmitted to the town,” D’Amato said.

At the May 23 meeting, current Zoning Enforcement Officer Steve Hnatuk estimated that cannabis tax revenues would amount to $100,000 to $150,000.

There has already been some interest expressed in bringing a marijuana retail shop to town. At a February meeting, a potential applicant spoke with the commission informally to get a sense of what regulations were in place concerning marijuana sale.

The potential applicant, Chad Lynch, said he’s been involved in the business for about seven years and was interested in working in Connecticut. Lynch said that his plan would be to open a growing and light manufacturing facility in town with a retail dispensary for the public.

With no regulations on file, it was after that inquiry that the town set to work on coming up with proposed regulations.