Pot dispensary application filed
Medical facility sought on Connecticut Ave.
NORWALK — A Watertown entity has submitted to the Norwalk Department of Planning and Zoning a plan to open a medical marijuana dispensary on Connecticut Avenue.
Healthport LLC, of Watertown, has proposed opening the dispensary — the first in Norwalk — with 3,000 square feet of space on the first floor of the building at 495 Connecticut Ave.
“The space will include a locked vestibule where patients must sign in before gaining entry into the main floor area for appointments, consultations, purchase of product and other services,” wrote Elizabeth Suchy, the attorney representing Healthport on the development application. “The first floor also includes the dispensary area, locked storage for the product stock and facility
offices. Patients cannot simply present themselves unannounced or without appointment to obtain their allotted amount of product.”
The property is next to the former banquet center Chatham Manor, across the street from the Kohl’s department store and along a stretch of Connecticut Avenue that is home to retail and restaurants.
The Norwalk Zoning Commission tentatively will begin reviewing the dispensary plan July 12 and, at some point, schedule a public hearing.
The nearest medical marijuana dispensaries are currently located in Bethel and Milford.
The Connecticut Avenue plan marks the first such application to come before the Norwalk Zoning Commission since it approved in September a zoning regulation permitting medical marijuana dispensaries in limited areas of the city. Those areas are Business No. 1 zones, on the south side of Connecticut Avenue, as well as along a short stretch of New Canaan Avenue.
The property at 495 Connecticut Ave. is zoned Business No. 1 and is home to a two-story commercial structure built in 1978. A nail salon and gold dealership occupy the first floor; a dentist’s office and one residential unit are located above, according to Suchy.
In 2012, state lawmakers approved a law permitting the sale of medical marijuana at licensed dispensaries, subject to regulation by the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection.
Healthport is not among the nine medical marijuana dispensaries licensed by the department, but that could change.
The department initially approved six dispensary facility licenses, expanded that to nine in January 2016 and received additional applications in April, said DCP spokeswoman Lora Rae Anderson.
“Whenever there is need for expansion, which we determine based on patient need, we can issue a request for applications,” Anderson said. “This last January, we put out another RFA for anywhere from three to 10 dispensaries statewide. Those applications are currently in review.”
Anderson said the department hopes to make a decision in the fall. At that time, the names of the applicants will be released, she said.
A patient may register for a medical marijuana certificate if he or she lives in Connecticut and is being treated for a debilitating medical condition by a Connecticut-licensed physician. For adults, such conditions include cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, Crohn’s disease and a terminal illness requiring end-of-life care, according to the DCP website.
“This is one of the most highly regulated industries in Connecticut,” Suchy said. “If approved by the commission and then the state Department of Consumer Protection, this dispensary will serve patients in this area who will benefit greatly from prescribed medical marijuana to help them deal with symptoms of many debilitating conditions.”
Before adopting the zoning regulation allowing medical marijuana dispensaries, the Norwalk Zoning Commission held a public hearing at which people weighed in for and against such facilities.
Angela DiMecco, owner of Compassionate Care Center of Connecticut, a licensed medical marijuana dispensary facility in Bethel, told the commission that the center has worked mostly with Norwalk patients and seen cancer patients survive with medical marijuana use. At the time, she was considering relocating her business to Norwalk.
“We have patients that travel to us based upon our service and knowledge,” D’Amico said Tuesday. “I hope that whatever new dispensaries open have the knowledge and expertise that we have.”
Ginger and Larry Katz, who founded the nonprofit organization Courage to Speak to convince young people to remain drug-free after the death of their son in 1996, spoke against permitting medical marijuana dispensaries. She reiterated her concerns Tuesday upon learning that a plan had been submitted for Connecticut Avenue.
“We hope that we’re not sending the incorrect message,” Ginger Katz said. “I’ve seen it not done properly in states where there wasn’t planning for education and it just popped into a town, and kids are getting confused. They think it’s medical and it’s OK to use.”
On June 14, after passionate input from residents, the Westport Planning and Zoning Commission approved a plan for a medical marijuana dispensary at 1460 Post Road East, but rejected applications for dispensaries at four other locations.