Chelsea Budd granted reduced expansion of hours; commission sets shorter extension and six‑month review

The City of Chelsea Licensing Commission voted July 14 to modify operating hours for House of Ermias LLC, doing business as Chelsea Budd at 267 Broadway. The commission approved a schedule of Sunday through Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and said the hours will be reviewed in approximately six months.

Representatives from Chelsea Budd asked the commission for a larger change — from the existing 9 a.m.–9 p.m. to 8 a.m.–midnight — citing a downtown construction project that they said had reduced daytime foot traffic and a need to serve early-shift and late-shift workers. A company representative said Chelsea Budd charges lower retail prices to reduce street sales and argued the store’s lighting, 70 onsite cameras and a contracted licensed security firm make the location safer at night.

Ola, speaking for Chelsea Budd, said the business had gathered community support for extended hours, delivering a petition with roughly 300 signatures from local residents and customers. The applicant also said Chelsea Budd has hired several employees from Chelsea and expects to add more if hours expand.

Police and neighbors expressed concerns about extending retail cannabis hours into late night hours in a dense downtown area. Chief Houghton said he had “grave concerns about going to midnight,” calling Broadway one of the city’s busiest intersections with a high accident rate and saying an influx of late-night customers could create enforcement and public-safety challenges. The chief also noted earlier alarms and a complaint the department responded to after Chelsea Budd opened; licensing staff said those alarm issues had been addressed.

Julie DeMarro, a property owner on Broadway, told the commission the corridor is residential above the storefronts and that midnight hours would be a poor fit for a downtown with so many residents living above businesses. Commissioners noted that several other dispensaries in the city have been granted later-weekend hours but are in less residential or more industrial locations.

After extended discussion, the commission proposed a narrower change than Chelsea Budd requested. Commissioners said they could support 8 a.m. openings across the week to serve early-morning workers but were not comfortable granting midnight closing times in the downtown corridor. The final motion applied the modified hours (Sun–Wed 8 a.m.–9 p.m.; Thu–Sat 8 a.m.–10 p.m.), and commissioners said they will reassess the change after a period of operational history to determine whether further extension is warranted.

The change passed on a voice vote. Licensing staff will monitor for traffic, loitering, noise and public-safety concerns and will expect Chelsea Budd to coordinate with the police department on security and video monitoring as needed.