Marijuana company seeks Saugus location

A Lynn-based pot manufacturer plans to introduce itself to citizens via virtual meeting next week

  Just a month after the Annual Town Meeting overwhelmingly supported a measure to allow for marijuana establishments in town, a Lynn-based pot manufacturer wants to locate a marijuana retail store on Route 1 in Saugus.

  A company called Bostica, LLC, recently had a notice posted on the town website related to “a virtual Community Outreach Meeting for a proposed Marijuana Establishment” scheduled for next Thursday (June 30) at 6 p.m.

  “The proposed marijuana retailer is anticipated to be located at 44 Broadway, Unit A, Saugus, MA,” the notice said. That address is located near Oye’s Chinese Restaurant.

  “There will be an opportunity for the public to ask questions. Please feel free to submit your questions to jcapano@bostica.com in advance of this meeting,” it continued.

  The email address is for Jonathan Capano, an attorney and Saugus resident who has been working with the cannabis industry since 2017. He attended the May 23 Town Meeting session at the request of Board of Selectmen Chair Anthony Cogliano to address Town Meeting members about the lucrative benefits reaped by communities that have accepted the sale of recreational marijuana.

  In a telephone interview with The Saugus Advocate this week, Capano identified himself as the chief compliance officer for Bostica, LLC

  “This is part of the license application process, as we are required to have a local meeting to answer questions and provide details about the operation, the security of the facility and what the license allows us to do,” he said.

Bostica’s background

  Bostica, LLC’s website describes itself as “A Massachusetts based Cannabis startup company with provisional licenses awarded by the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) for both Marijuana Cultivation and Product Manufacturing.

  “Located in Lynn, MA, Bostica, LLC has secured a special permit from the Lynn City Council to Cultivate and Process Marijuana at its proposed 45,000 Sq./Ft. facility. The company has also executed a Host Community Agreement with the City of Lynn.”

  “Bostica was established in 2018 by Jarrod and his father Ray Falite. Together the pair have more than 60 years’ experience in commercial real estate development, construction and operations management, and HVAC design and installation, the latter of which is critical for indoor growing operations,” according to the website.

  “Committed to cultivating excellence, Bostica’s state-of-the-art facility will produce ideal growing conditions 24/7. The superior environmental control ensures end products of consistently high quality to meet the expectations of Massachusetts increasingly experienced consumers,” it said.

  In his interview with The Saugus Advocate this week, Capano talked about why Bostica is considering the Route 1 spot.

  “What we like about the location is it’s on the edge of Saugus – where there are very few abutters – and most of them being businesses,”

  “We feel this is the best location because it’s away from neighborhoods, parks and playgrounds. This is the best location we could find to place a retail marijuana establishment in Saugus,” he said.

  The proposed location also happens to conform with the provisions of Article 36 – the amendment to the town’s Zoning Bylaws supported by Town Meeting (33-13 vote) last month to allow for marijuana establishments in town.

Key parts of Article 36

  The following conditions apply for marijuana establishments within the Business Highway Sustainable District (BHSD). The amended version of the approved regulations state that marijuana establishments:

• May not be located within 1,000 feet of a pre-existing public or private school providing education in kindergarten or any grades 1 through 12. The buffer zone distance shall be measured along the shortest publicly accessible pedestrian travel path from the Marijuana Establishment entrance to the school entrance.
• May not be located within 1,000 feet of a park or playground. The buffer zone distance shall be measured along the shortest publicly accessible pedestrian travel path from the Marijuana Establishment entrance to the park or playground.
• May not be located within 1,000 feet of each other.
• May not be located in buildings that contain any residential units, including transitional housing, such as hotels, motels and dormitories.

  The zoning changes are pending approval by the state Attorney General’s Office.

  But because the process of obtaining a license from the state CCC can take months or more, Capano said Bostica is moving ahead with its plans to brief the town and its residents on the company’s proposal and issues that are involved.

Benefits cited for Saugus

  “This is a unique opportunity for Saugus,” Capano said.

  “The local tax option is 3 percent for local taxes. They would get 3 percent of all revenue generated on marijuana products. They would also be getting a good corporate citizen. We would be more than willing to contribute,” he said.

  “If it’s the parks, we’d love to lend a helping hand. The town has focused on cleaning up the parks and playgrounds,” he said.

  Cogliano, who authored the article, lobbied at Town Meeting for support with a video he made which documented “deplorable conditions” at Saugus parks, including Golden Hills Park, Saugus Elks Park, Oaklandvale Park, Lynnhurst Park, Stocker Park, Anna Parker Playground, Waybright Elementary School and Stackpole Field.

  Cogliano acknowledged that the town doesn’t have the money or manpower to address the abundance of deficiencies at the parks. And any money generated by recreational marijuana sales would go into the general fund.

  Furthermore, it’s the prerogative of the town manager and his staff to determine how to address the widespread park deficiencies. Cogliano cited the substandard parks as an example of unmet town needs that could be addressed with the revenue generated from recreational marijuana sales.

  During his remarks to Town Meeting, Capano cited statistics which showed lucrative benefits reaped by communities that have accepted the sale of recreational Marijuana.

  For instance, between December 2018 and May 2019, adult use marijuana brought in $2.9 million local tax revenue.

  In the following fiscal year which ended June 2020, marijuana sales generated $14.4 million for cities and towns. In fiscal year 2021, the local option brought in $31.3-million.

  Between May 9 and May 15, recreational marijuana sales generated $27.2 million.

  Since the legalization of marijuana in 2018, the industry has surpassed $3-billion in sales.

  With Saugus having 12 liquor licenses, the community would qualify for about three dispensaries, according to Capano.

  In this week’s interview, Capano said Bostica looks forward to answering all of the community’s questions about the proposed Saugus store being considered for Route 1.

  He said interested citizens should submit their questions to him at jcapano@bostica.com in advance of this meeting. Concerned citizens can also check out the company’s Website at http://www.bostica.com