The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Medical marijuana dispensary hearing reset
Facility would be housed in former Kentucky Fried Chicken site on Route 44
WINSTED — Residents will have another opportunity to share their thoughts on a proposed medical marijuana dispensary, after Monday’s hearing on a new application was continued to March 12.
Town Planner Steven Sadlowski said the commission decided to extend the hearing to March 12, to allow for an updated property survey and ensure accuracy.
“There was really no particular concern, other than just to make sure the plan is more up to date,” Sadlowski said. “The plan they submitted was from an engineer who did not reference where his underlying survey data came from.”
On Feb. 8, Bristol-based attorney Timothy Furey submitted an application to establish a medical marijuana dispensary at 100 New Hartford Road, the site of a former Kentucky Fried Chicken on behalf of 100 New Hartford LLC.
According to state records, Furey is the trustee and agent for the limited liability company, which was established Feb. 8.
The location is a good fit for a dispensary, according to a narrative attached to the application.
It is set back from the road, which is likely why it became vacant in the first place. New Hartford Road is better known as Route 44.
“Although close to major arterial streets it is
discretely located away from the highway. It is very convenient as a destination location but not desirable for retail uses which need street visibility,” Furey said in the narrative. “The site is intended as appointment-only, has very low traffic generation and would have all the security measures as dictated by the state of Connecticut.”
Sadlowski said a small group of residents commented on the project Monday, both in favor and against it.
This is the second time the Planning & Zoning Commission has considered an application for a dispensary at this location. The body assented to another such proposal in March 2014, according to past reports.
The state did not approve the project in April 2014, choosing instead to authorize six other facilities in Connecticut.
The state Department of Consumer Protection plans to approve three to 10 more dispensaries in Connecticut. It issued a request for applications in January.
The number of patients has increased dramatically in recent years, according to Lora Rae Anderson, director of communications with the department.
When the last round of licenses was granted in January 2016, about 8,000 patients were receiving medical marijuana, according to Anderson.
As of Feb. 25, 24,202 medical marijuana patients were in the state, according to the department — up from 24,096 as of Feb. 18.
This includes 1,449 people in Litchfield County — five more than the week before. The county has no dispensary, and the closest facilities are in Waterbury and Bristol.
Applications are graded on a series of factors, including business plans, geography and security, Anderson said earlier this month. A dispensary must be operated by a pharmacist, she said.
The Torrington Planning & Zoning Commission received three requests to open a dispensary last month for spaces at 61 Commercial Blvd., 398 Winsted Road and 3568 Winsted Road.
The Torrington commission scheduled public hearings on the applications for March 14.