After some back-and-fourth regarding the wording of a the town’s adult-use cannabis ordinance, the Damariscotta Select Board approved the license for a new adult-use retail store with a split vote at their meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 21.
The application was submitted by owners Jacob Daku and Charles Crandall for Kender Farms LLC, which is proposed for 434 Main St. next to Dunkin’.
The retail store is looking to sell recreational cannabis products such as vaporizer cartridges, cannabis leaves, and edible products, Daku said at the Jan. 21 meeting.
The applicants submitted all required materials with the exception of reports from the fire chief regarding an inspection of the proposed location and a report from the police chief of an investigation into criminal history of the applicants.
These reports are required to approve the conditional use permit as per Damariscotta’s adult-use licensing ordinance.
The first motion to approve the application upon receiving reports from the fire chief and police chief failed. Board members Tom Anderson and Daniel Hunter voted against the motion, while Andrea Keushguerian and Chair Daryl Fraser voted in favor. Board member Darryl Day was absent.
Anderson said he wanted the reviews to be “positive,” noting that the ordinance, as written, requires the police chief and fire chief to submit reports but does not specify that those findings must be favorable.
“The review is going to be conducted for the ordinance, but obviously, it needs to be a positive review,” Anderson said. “If they do the review and they have concerns to the extent that they don’t think that it should move forward, we should know about that.”
Anderson made a motion granting a conditional use permit contingent on positive reviews from the fire chief and police chief. The motion passed 3-1, with Hunter voting in opposition.
On Jan. 5, the Damariscotta Planning Board approved Kender Farms’ application for a conditional use permit with the conditions that any outdoor storage associated with the adult-use cannabis retail store must be kept neat and orderly and screened from view of residential district lots by a fence, wall, or plantings, and that the owners will maintain a valid license with the state.
Upon positive reports from the police and fire chief, Kender Farms would be the town’s fourth cannabis store, joining adult-use cannabis store Cannabis Cured, and medical use stores Above and Beyond Cannabis LLC and Greenport Cannabis Co.
According to Damariscotta’s adult-use and medical marijuana licensing ordinances, a maximum of two adult-use cannabis retail stores and two medical cannabis retail stores are allowed in town.
The next select board meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 4, at the town office. For more information, call 563-5168 or go to damariscotta.maine.gov.
