Business & Tech

Medical Marijuana Cultivation Business Proposed for Milford

The application by Bay State Relief will be the first medical marijuana facility to be considered in Milford.

A non-profit business has applied for permission in Milford to locate a medical marijuana cultivation facility in an industrial park, but at a site that borders a residential zone.

The application by Framingham-based Bay State Relief would be for a medical marijuana production, or cultivation, facility. This would be allowed under a state license.

The site is at 13 Commercial Way, at the end of a cul-de-sac in the industrial park, next to the Hillside Equipment property. The proposed site is in the IB Highway Industrial zone, but the lot line borders a residential zone on Beaver Street.

Two homes on Beaver Street have views of the back of the building.

The town has established a zoning district for medical marijuana facilities, and the proposed location is within that zone, but it will still require a variance, because the site violates a requirement for medical marijuana facilities to be at least 200 feet from a residential zone.

The Milford Planning Board on Tuesday is expected to take up the application, and then refer it to the Milford Zoning Board of Appeals for this reason. The application also has to obtain a special permit from the Planning Board.

The application for the variance was filed Sept. 19. In the documents, the applicant argues that the 200 foot setback can be resolved with installation of a security fence around the perimeter of the property.

"The shape of the lot is such that the rear property line incidentally extends to abut a residential zone," the applicant, Andrew Gold, wrote.

Gold is represented in his request in Milford by attorney Joseph M. Antonellis.

In its application for a state license to operate a medical marijuana facility, Bay State Relief indicated it would open a facility in Middlesex County, not Worcester County. But the town has been told that the state applications for medical marijuana facilities do not have to cite a specific location, including a county.

In all, 13 applicants have indicated they want to have a facility in Worcester County, and are moving forward to a second phase application, according to a brief summary of state applications released on Monday. The first phase review centered around verification of their non-profit status, and financial viability.

The state will allow up to 35 facilities, with at least one allowed per county. It isn't clear how many of the 13 citing a Worcester County location are interested in Milford.

Milford Town Planner Larry Dunkin said he's received calls from four companies, interested in Milford, but as yet only Bay State Relief has filed an application.

Bay State Relief has indicated it wants to open a medical marijuana dispensary in Framingham, at its location on Route 9. The site is directly across from the Massachusetts State Police headquarters.


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