SOUTHWICK – Calyx & Pistils Inc. held their community outreach meeting on Wednesday night. It is required by the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission for every proposed marijuana business to hold a community outreach meeting for the residents of the town they’re looking to establish a business.
Christopher Lalli and William Fontaine, who have proposed to open up a small-scale, boutique marijuana business at 74 College Hwy, stated their business will consist of cultivating both medical and recreational marijuana.
Before addressing any questions or comments from those in attendance, the two business partners gave an overview of their business plan. Strictly doing cultivation and growing marijuana flowers, Calyx & Pistils Inc. wanted to assure residents that they’re far from retail.
“We’re going to be a wholesale facility, we’re not a retail store,” said Lalli. “We know that’s a big concern in town.”
Labeled as a Tier I business, Calyx & Pistils will be using 5,000 sq. ft. to grow the marijuana inside the facility. Lalli and Fontaine informed the public that nothing would be done outside.
Residents and town officials attended the community outreach meeting on Wednesday night for a proposed marijuana wholesale facility at 74 College Highway in Southwick. (Photo by Greg Fitzpatrick)
The security of the building is of importance for the two gentlemen. The first door that an individual enters into the facility will have an electronic key pad that will require the person to swipe their card. Once getting through that door, the person will be in a locked room and will get buzzed into another room by an employee. In the next room, they will walk up to a security window and have to show their identification that they’re at least 21-years-old. That individual would have to sign in and be given a visitor’s badge.
“It’s kind of like a mousetrap in a sense for the whole facility,” said Lalli.
Cameras will be positioned all around the inside and outside of the premises. There will be two street-side cameras along Route 10 and 202 that the Southwick Police Department will also have access to. Calyx & Pistils is required to save at least 90 days of surveillance footage at all times.
“Our real main objective is the safety of the staff and our visitors,” said Fontaine.
Discussing the actual product they’ll be selling to retail stores and other buyers, the marijuana will be planted into the ground with soil. Once it’s planted, it will be automatically scanned and entered into the state’s database.
Since diversion to minors is an issue that Lalli and Fontaine wanted to address, they noted that the combination of the high-end security and functioning as a wholesale facility will keep minors away.
“We don’t want this reaching kids either,” said Fontaine. “There will not be people coming in and out.”
As required by the state, all employees that are hired by Calyx & Pistils will have to be at least 21-years-old and get CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) checked. In the town’s host agreement, the business will also have to employ residents of Southwick.
Addressing ways they could positively impact the community, Lalli and Fontaine said 3% of their gross income will go back to the town to use at their discretion.
“It’s all about Southwick in our eyes,” said Lalli.
After opening the meeting to questions from the public, Ruth Preston of the Planning Board asked if the facility would be operating all hours of the day but Calyx & Pistils said they may have employees there from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m.
Christopher Lalli and William Fontaine of Calyx & Pistils Inc. are seen speaking to the crowd at a public meeting Wednesday night. (Photo by Greg Fitzpatrick)
While Lee Hamburg of the Southwick Historical Society mentioned that town bylaws would require the facility to be set back at least 75 feet from the road, Lalli and Fontaine indicated that they are going before the Zoning Board of Appeals for a variance to put them only 25 feet from the road.
Southwick Chief of Police Kevin Bishop also gave his input and talked about the meetings he and Lt. Robert Landis have had with Lalli and Fontaine in regards to security.
“They’re right on the mark,” said Bishop.
Jack and Pam Dougherty, who live down the street from the proposed marijuana facility, were mostly concerned about potential traffic.
“We’ve seen a lot of accidents by there,” said Jack Dougherty.
Nevertheless, Jack is open to the business coming to Southwick.
“It’s always good to have new businesses in town,” said Dougherty.
Stephen Phillips, who owns A-10 Arms and Ammo in town, sees the proposed marijuana facility as a great thing for the town.
“I think it’s a natural thing,” said Phillips. “This is just a new age of farming.”
According to Lalli, the next step for him and Fontaine is to go to the Planning Board in December and apply for a special permit. If approved, the plan would be to break ground by the summer of 2019 and then have their product ready by the summer of 2020.
