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Council approves two special permits for cannabis businesses, sets local hiring and safety conditions
Summary
The Holyoke City Council approved two special permits: one for a marijuana cultivation facility and one amendment adding an extraction booth to a marijuana manufacturing facility. Both permits passed with conditions including local-hire targets and fire department approval; the final vote was 9 in favor, 1 opposed and 1 abstention.
The Holyoke City Council voted Tuesday to approve two special permits for cannabis operations with conditions requiring local hiring targets, tax compliance and safety approvals.
The council acted on committee recommendations to grant a special permit to Mass Cannabis Growers Cooperative LLC for a cultivation facility at 1 Cabot Street (item 32) and to grant an amendment permit for Blue Fox Brands Inc. at the same address to add a C1D1 extraction booth (item 33). Both permits were approved with conditions set by the Ordinance Committee.
Conditions applied to both approvals included: a requirement that building owners pay commercial property tax where allowed; a hiring goal to retain at least 30% Holyoke residents in non-security positions; a hiring preference for security staff who are retired Holyoke police or retired officers living in the city; a prohibition on on-site marijuana consumption; adherence to state Cannabis Control Commission regulations; compliance with city and state health and odor-control requirements; and a two-year substantial-progress requirement with extensions subject to council review. The Blue Fox amendment added a condition that the applicant obtain a fire-department permit before operations begin.
The roll call on final adoption recorded nine yes votes, one no and one abstention. Councilors voting yes included McGrath Smith, Ocasio, Israel Rivera, Bacon, Anderson Burgos, Bartley, Devine, Gibner and Jourdain. Councilor Graney voted no; Councilor Jenny Rivera was absent from the room and recorded as not voting.
Ending: Approved permits are subject to the listed conditions and to any further state permitting or local inspections; the council recorded the roll-call vote and the committee recommendations on the record.
