SOUTHWICK – Pastor Dan Valeri of Living Hope Church spoke against allowing a medicinal marijuana grower in Southwick this week.
Valeri voiced his concerns during a Southwick Planning Board hearing on the topic.
Paul Dellatorre has requested a special permit to lease his greenhouses at 27 Hudson Drive to Hampden Care of New York to cultivate medicinal marijuana. Representatives for Dellatorre and Hampden Care requested a continuance in order to complete site plans and were not present during the hearing Oct. 1.
Planning Board Chairman Douglas Moglin opened the hearing, allowing speakers to voice their concerns or offer support for the request.
Valeri said he had serious concerns.
“I am opposed to this being in Southwick,” he said. “Regardless of the state law that permits it, the American Cancer Society and American Lung Association agree they are against using marijuana for treating illness.”
Valeri cited research by the two organizations that found marijuana smoking could be as harmful as cigarette smoking. Valeri was also cocnerned with the proximity of the property to the school campus.
“It’s a question about public safety,” Valeri said. “How secure are the greenhouses? A 2013 report from the Department of Justice says even growers were not exempt from theft, vandalism and violence. Who is going to staff this place? These are questions that demand answers.”
Board member T.J. Welch agreed that there must be answers to safety concerns before a decision is made.
“We are looking for those answers – that is what we are waiting for,” said Welch.
Valeri said cultivating marijuana was not an appropriate use of the land.
“Is this the reputation we want for Southwick?” he said. “I, for one, say no.”
The property owner, Paul Dellatorre, ran a rose-growing business there for 17 years. He and his attorney Richard M. Evans first presented a proposal in August, which was then continued to Sept. 3 and then to Oct. 1. Thomas and Peter Gallagher, board members of Hampden Care, and their attorney, Steven Reilly of Springfield, were also present and answered a few questions for the Planning Board and audience members, mainly whether or not they need approval from the town to move forward with their bid to open a marijuana cultivation site.
One of the state regulations Moglin asked about Sept. 3 was the requirement for a marijuana cultivation business to be part of a dispensary. Gallagher said that would be the case here, adding that Hampden Care is currently looking at several dispensary locations, none of which would be in Southwick. Although the regulation requires the growing and dispensing of medical marijuana be part of the same company, it does not require them to be in the same location.
The Gallaghers are a father and son out of New York City. They said they are awaiting word from the state that their dispensary application passed the first phase and have been given the green light to move to the second phase of applications.
Although Evans said the potential lessee did not want to incur the cost of a site plan, Reilly said that they would, in fact, have a plan for the board to review.
“If that’s what the board requires, my clients are willing to do that to provide that comfort,” said Reilly.
Chairman Douglas Moglin said no one on the board would argue that an appropriate use of the land was agriculture. Evans said that is all they were asking for.
“There is no question horticultural use is allowed,” Moglin said. “But we need to see a site plan.”
The hearing was continued to Oct. 15 at 7:15 p.m.
