POT SHOP HOT POTATO
Brookline plan not ‘good fit’ for area, opponents say
Brookline residents are protesting a proposed retail pot shop they say is too big and too close to local schools. About 50 people rallied last night outside 1032 Beacon St. — where Ascend Massachusetts plans to open a 6,200square-foot shop it says would be the nation’s largest retail marijuana store. Paul Warren, a Brookline resident who is leading the opposition, said the shop will be a “detriment” to the familyoriented neighborhood. “You couldn’t find a worse place to put a marijuana shop,” said Warren. He cited limited parking, the shop’s proximity to local schools and issues with loitering as reasons why the shop does not belong in the area. Aaron Mehta, owner of The Wine Press, located just steps away from the would-be pot shop, said that although he is a proponent of more businesses coming to the area, a retail marijuana store wouldn’t be a “good fit.” He said the biggest downside would be the size of the store. “It just doesn’t need that kind of space,” Mehta told the Herald. After the rally, a community meeting was hosted at the site by Ascend Massachusetts, with a presentation depicting a clean, subtle exterior with no signage and tight security. Representatives from Ascend said the Brookline location was chosen for its size and proximity to Boston. “People have an idea of what they think is going to happen and it tends to be a fair distance away from the reality,” said Andrea Cabral, the former Suffolk County sheriff and state secretary of public safety who is now chief executive of Ascend. She said she believes the shop will fit into the neighborhood and comply with regulations. Cabral also previously served on the advisory board of the Cannabis Control Commission — something that some residents say they believe is a conflict of interest. However, Ken Goldstein, a Brookline-based attorney representing Ascend, said Cabral’s former involvement on the board “does not create any conflict at all,” noting she was not a state employee in that role and had no regulatory power. Brookline residents voted 17,803 to 11,066 in favor of Question 4 in 2016, which legalized and regulated recreational marijuana. Two more community meetings will be held — accompanied by protests — on Oct. 30 and Nov. 1.