entering natick sign

entering natick sign

Natick Report

More than you really want to know about Natick, Mass.

  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Donate
  • Eat
  • Summer Camp
  • Private Schools in Natick & beyond
  • Public schools, sponsored by Sexton
  • Letters to the editor
  • Guidelines for letters
  • Sports schedule & results
  • Embracing diversity
  • Charities/Community
  • Arts
  • Events
  • Kids
  • Business
  • Environment
  • Top 10 things to do
  • Beyond Natick
  • History
  • Government
  • Seniors
  • Natick Nest
  • Fire & police scanner
  • Natick snow plowing services
 
Needham Bank, Natick
 

Wellesley Select Board mulls Natick’s marijuana shop plans

May 11, 2021 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Because some of the candidates to open a recreational marijuana shop in Natick are looking to do so near the Wellesley line, Wellesley residents have been sharing their concerns with Natick’s Select Board, and now Wellesley’s Select Board has taken up the matter.

Whereas Wellesley residents voted against legalizing recreational marijuana in 2016, Natick residents did not, and that has paved the way for such businesses to vie for approval in Natick. Over the past year, Natick has given the go-ahead to a medical marijuana dispensary and a testing lab, and is exploring the possibility of delivery and wholesale companies opening as well, the latter of which would be free to deliver their offerings to Wellesley and elsewhere.

As for recreational marijuana shops, Natick is moving through the process under a host community agreement of allowing a company called Cypress Tree to open a shop in the Cloverleaf Mall on Speen Street. A number of steps remain, including Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission approval, before such a shop could open.

Natick’s Select Board now is mulling a handful of runners-up, two of which are within about 500 feet of the Wellesley line on Rte. 9 east at 6 and 42 Worcester St. The candidate (C3) at 42 Worcester St. ranks #1 among Natick’s review committee, while the 6 Worcester St. location at what is now Nine East Wine Emporium, is further down on the list.

nine east wine emporium

 

It’s this current vetting of candidates, some of whose locations concern Wellesley neighbors, that got the Wellesley Select Board’s attention on Monday night (discussion starts at about 43 minutes in Wellesley Media recording). Residents have expressed concerns—from traffic to bus stop safety to wetlands issues to lack of parking—to Wellesley’s Select Board.

“The town of Wellesley, it’s considered an abutter, and can certainly provide comment. But it has no other procedural jurisdiction in terms of the licensing,” Wellesley Executive Director Meghan Jop said during Monday’s Select Board meeting. Jop said she’s been in communication with Natick’s Community & Economic Development office.

Select Board Member Beth Sullivan Woods said she would like to see the town, in light of residents’ concerns, “I would like us to provide a point of view to the Natick [Select Board]…much like we’ve done for all of our 40Bs and all of our other reviews.”

The discussion included concerns about traffic in the nearby neighborhood at Morses Pond and Jennings Pond, as well as regarding possible parking arrangements either proposed business might negotiate with other operations along Rte. 9.

Select Board Chair Tom Ulfelder raised the issue that impact on neighborhoods didn’t appear to be one of the criteria used by Natick to rate marijuana shop candidates. Natick seems to be focused on the businesses as…businesses, which he said isn’t unreasonable. “It’s almost as if they kind of back into a particular site that’s more of a concern for our residents through that kind of analysis,” he said, advocating for the Board to give voice to Wellesley residents in its communication to Natick.

In the end, the Board agreed to have Town Executive Director Jop draft a letter to be reviewed at a future board meeting. Wellesley residents who want to pass along their thoughts to Jop should send email to sel@wellesleyma.gov.


Ask about Advertising on Natick Report.


Subscribe to our Natick Report daily email

Filed Under: Business, Government

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.


Tip us off!

Please send news tips, photos, ideas to natickreport@gmail.com

If you’d like to contribute $ to support our independent journalism venture, please do….

Advertisements

Categories

  • Animals
  • Art
  • Bacon Free Library
  • Beyond Natick
  • Books
  • Boston Marathon
  • Business
  • Camps
  • Charity/Fundraising
  • Community
  • Construction
  • COVID-19
  • Education
  • Election
  • Embracing diversity
  • Employment/careers
  • Entertainment
  • Environment
  • Fashion
  • Fire
  • Food
  • Gardens
  • Government
  • Health
  • History
  • Holidays
  • Housing
  • Kids
  • Letters to the editor
  • Media
  • Military
  • Morse Institute Library
  • Music
  • Natick Election 2022
  • Natick Historical Society
  • Natick History Museum
  • Natick Mall
  • Natick Nest
  • Natick track
  • Neighbors
  • Obituaries & remembrances
  • Opinion
  • Outdoors
  • Parents
  • Police & crime
  • Real estate
  • Recycling Center
  • Religion
  • Restaurants
  • Schools
  • Seniors
  • Shopping
  • South Natick Dam
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Theater
  • Town election 2021
  • Town Election 2023
  • Town Meeting
  • Transportation
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • Vacation
  • Veterans
  • Volunteering
  • Voting
  • Weather
lion publishers
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Get our email newsletter

* indicates required
Our newsletter is free, though we gladly accept contributions to support our work.

Most Read Posts

  • New MBTA schedule encourages Natick to party on
  • Tree-mendous defense at Natick's saddest basketball court
  • Walk this way for a cultural experience on the Cochituate Rail Trail
  • Natick government meetings during the week of Sept. 18, 2023
  • Learn about MBTA Communities multifamily housing rules that Natick needs to meet

Click image to read The Swellesley Report

The Swellesley Report

Upcoming Events

Sep 23
10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Parents Day Out in Wellesley Square

Sep 23
2:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Natick Center Porchfest

Sep 27
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Sober in the Suburbs speaker event

Sep 28
6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Speaker: Meteorologist Harvey Leonard on extreme weather

Oct 1
3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Opening celebration of Little Free Diverse Library of children’s books

View Calendar

Pages

  • Letters to the editor on Natick Report
  • Natick community gardens
  • South Natick Dam Park (Charles River waterfall/spillway)
  • Guidelines for Natick Report letters to the editor
  • Natick election 2023—guidelines for promoting candidates and ballot questions
  • Natick’s 2023 Boston Marathon charity runners
  • Natick, Massachusetts libraries
  • Comment Policy
  • Bacon Free Library in Natick, hours for winter 2023
  • Morse Institute Library in Natick—hours for winter 2023
  • Resources for seniors in Natick, Mass.
  • Natick Report corrections policy
  • Scenic Roads in Natick
  • Where to stay in Natick, Mass. (hotels, inns)
  • Private Schools in Natick (and beyond)
  • Natick Summer Camps (and beyond)
  • Where to eat in Natick, Mass: more that 70 dining options
  • Natick, Mass., history
  • Natick government
  • Natick No-Nos
  • Embracing diversity in Natick
  • Where to worship in Natick
  • Kid stuff (sports, clubs, activities in Natick, Mass.)
  • Contribute to Natick Report
  • Natick Little Free Libraries
  • Natick public schools
  • Natick obituaries, September 2023
  • Where to sled in Natick, Mass.
  • Natick COVID-19 & vaccine news
  • Natick’s zip code & post offices
  • Natick charitable and community action groups
  • Top 10 things to do in Natick, Mass.
  • Natick Arts/Entertainment
  • About Natick Report
  • Advertise on Natick Report
  • Natick rules: Chickens yes, roosters no
  • Natick Election 2023, political candidates advertising
  • Natick election 2022—candidate interviews

© 2023 Natick Report
Site by Tech-Tamer · Login