LAKEVILLE — Voters at the June 23 special town meeting held at Apponequet Regional High School approved several changes to zoning bylaws, including revisions to zoning maps that will limit cannabis businesses to the town’s two established industrial parks. Reports South Coast Today
The revised maps describing the new Marijuana Overlay District will allow cannabis industry licensees to operate only on 34 parcels within the industrial parks, eliminating a number of industrial zoned parcels elsewhere in town located near residential areas as potential sites for businesses cultivating, manufacturing, or retailing cannabis products.
The article was sponsored by the Planning Board to address concerns raised by residents and town officials over the previous bylaw, which allowed cannabis business to be located on any parcel in town zoned for industry.
Planning Board member Barbara Mancovsky told the meeting that the new overlay district would protect residential neighborhoods from the substantial traffic flows usually generated by licensed medical and recreational marijuana dispensaries.
The revised zoning map identifies 10 parcels of industrial land located along Route 44 and nearby Millennium Circle as permitted locations for such businesses, along with 24 parcels along Kenneth Welch Drive in the Lakeville Industrial Park. The article passed by unanimous vote without any discussion.
At present, the town has approved five permits for cannabis businesses in those two industrial parks; none of the proposed retail dispensaries licensed by the state are open for business yet.
Also approved by unanimous vote was an amendment to zoning bylaws changing the licensing authority for temporary mobile homes, trailers and portable storage containers from the Board of Selectmen to the building commissioner.
Source: https://cannabislaw.report/ma-town-of-lakeville-re-draws-zoning-on-cannabis-businesses/
