Questions about involving the community and identifying corporate players will lead to a longer than normal review of a medical marijuana facility, though no one opposed the proposal at a public hearing at City Hall.
For example, Juan G. Sanchez Jr. of Gatehouse Road asked that the City Council Ordinance Committee on Tuesday continue the public hearing to a date in 30 days. That would allow for more discussion about the proposal from GTI Massachusetts NP Corp. for a medical marijuana facility at 28 Appleton St., he said.
“I’m not asking that you withdraw the process,” Sanchez said. “Everything sounds great.”
The Ordinance Committee heeded the requests of public hearing speakers for more time, continuing the hearing to April 25 at 7 p.m. at City Hall instead of the usual two weeks for continued hearings.
The hearing is part of the councilors’ review in considering whether to grant GTI Massachusetts a special permit to operate here.
The hearing Tuesday lasted nearly 2 1/2 hours. It was more than an hour before the public who had shown up to address the topic in City Council Chambers actually got to speak, city councilors having consumed time questioning GTI Massachusetts officials and consultants.
The proposal is for a medical marijuana cultivation and processing facility on the second floor of a building in a general industry zoning district. It is not for a medical marijuana dispensary, despite such a description being listed on the Ordinance Committee agenda, officials said.
Louis S. Competiello, a physician from Longmeadow, said his daughter was diagnosed with a neuro-psychiatric disorder. Research led him to medical marijuana, which has controlled his daughter’s anxiety, he said.
“I came to the conclusion that marijuana was the best medicinal herb on the planet,” said Competiello, calling it a “very safe and very useful medication for a variety of conditions.”
Former mayor Elaine A. Pluta said she supported the GTI Massachusetts plan “purely from a financial perspective.”
“Because the city of Holyoke, I think we can all agree, needs a new source of revenue…I think this will be the beginning of one of the things that helps us do that as a city,” Pluta said.
Catina Galanes Grass of George Street urged the Ordinance Committee to avoid a longer review and stick to a normal schedule in considering the medical marijuana plan, which she supported.
“I think it’s great financially for the city as Ms. Pluta said,” and also medically, Grass said.
Mildred Lefebvre, the Ward 1 School Committee member, said residents in her ward need additional time to learn about the proposal and get concerns addressed.
“Is this what you want in your ward? We’re not saying we don’t want it,” Lefebvre said, but “there are plenty of people that don’t know…So please give us more time, give us more respect.”
Resident Israel Rivera also said community meetings should be held to spread information about the medical marijuana proposal.
“I’m not against or for it, but just speak to the people in South Holyoke about it, and the Flats,” Rivera said.
Glenn Shealey of Holy Family Road said he supported the GTI Massachusetts proposal. Shealey is the owner of Quantum Properties, a real estate company that specializes in redeveloping industrial sites.
“I welcome anybody new that comes to the city, takes an old building and fixes it up,” Shealey said.
Whitney Simmons, of Springfield, is a co-owner of the Carve Beauty Bar hair salon at 67 Lincoln St. Her son was diagnosed with a neurological disorder and medical marijuana gives him relief, but accessing it can be hard, she said.
“One of the difficulties we have encountered is the lack of established” dispensaries, Simmons said.
Massachusetts voters in 2012 permitted medical marijuana facilities by approving a statewide ballot question, and state law prohibits a city or town from banning such facilities. But the city can regulate where such a facility can be located and require that the permit-holder disclose security measures and discuss issues like hours of operation.
Marijuana can be prescribed medically to treat cancer, glaucoma, HIV-AIDS and other illnesses.
Ward 1 Councilor Gladys Lebron-Martinez urged colleagues to approve the proposed facility based on how medical marijuana can help people. Her granddaughter was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, she said.
“No medicine has helped her but this,” Lebron-Martinez said (see video above).
GTI Massachusetts was represented by Holyoke lawyer John J. Ferriter, who specializes in commercial real estate, regulatory lawyer Valerio Romano of Boston, Tom Reidy, a land-use lawyer from Amherst, Ben Kovler, chairman of GTI Investments and the CEO of GTI-Clinic Illinois and Adam Robbins, a manager.
“GTI will certainly be a benefit and a partner for our community,” Ferriter said.
Reidy said the facility would have five exterior security cameras and no signs.
In the first year, the facility would employ 25 to 30 people in full-time jobs at $14 an hour with benefits. That would increase to 100 employees in three years, he said.
Employees would enter at the Canal Street entrance using key fobs or swipe cards. Employees must be at least 21, submit to Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) checks through the state of Massachusetts, register with the state Department of Public Health and have no felony convictions, he said.
The single shift at the facility would run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., he said.
Councilor at Large Michael J. Sullivan asked what kind of benefits package employees would get. Robbins said the package would include health and dental insurance with a possible employer-contributed 401K retirement program.
A secured, fenced-in enclosure would be used when placing medical marijuana in vehicles for delivery to off-site dispensaries. Unmarked cars with surveillance and tracking devices in the vehicles would be used, Reidy said.
Ward 2 Councilor Nelson R. Roman asked how much money the company plans to spend in constructing the facility and beginning its operation. Kovler said $8 million.
To Roman’s question about community outreach, Robbins said the company would work with the CareerPoint job and employment referral office here and would give residents of Wards 1 and 2 preference in hiring. The facility would be in the Flats Neighborhood in Ward 1.
“We want to do that,” Robbins said.
Robbins told Sullivan that while Massachusetts has exempted medical marijuana facilities from a sales tax, such companies can make revenue-providing, host-city agreements. A proposal for one has been submitted to Holyoke officials. The GTI Massachusetts officials didn’t specify how much money the proposed agreement specifies for the city.
Committee Chairwoman Linda L. Vacon and Council President Kevin A. Jourdain said they had received copies of the proposed host-city agreement between Holyoke and GTI Massachusetts but had yet to read it in detail.
“We are confident that the agreement that we have in place is favorable to the city of Holyoke,” Robbins said. “We would be happy to set up meetings and discussions with any city councilors who want to go through it.”
Roman said all councilors should get copies of the proposed host-city agreement.
“I think the public and all of us councilors have a right to see any such host-city agreement,” Roman said.
Committee member Diosdado Lopez asked about the city’s recent issues related to Fire Department responses to fires and Ferriter said the building has a sprinkler system.
Jourdain asked about ventilation for the medical marijuana facility. Kovler said it would contain a pressurized system with air circulated in chilling and filtering devices.
“There’s going to be a lot of money to be made,” Jourdain said. “Who here gains by this and I’d like to know where the dollars all tack back to.”
Peter Kadens is CEO of GTI Massachusetts, which registered as a nonprofit corporation with the state on July 2, 2015, according to records online at the state secretary of state’s office.
Those records show Kadens, with a Chicago, Illinois address, listed as president and a director; Benjamin Kovler of Chicago as treasurer, clerk and a director; Anthony Georgiadis of Tampa, Florida, Jessica Crispo of Northborough, Massachusetts, Donna Levin of Newton, Massachusetts, Matthew Levine of Chicago and David Gerzof Richard of Brookline, Massachusetts also listed as directors.
“We don’t know the amount of money to be made,” said Romano, describing GTI officials as “incredibly altruistic.”
But he said he would get back to councilors with details about ownership and revenue.
It is important for the City Council to know the individuals in the company responsible for ownership and control in case changes are made later in the company or its operation, Jourdain said.
Romano said he understood.
“I think we’re all on the same page with that, councilor,” he said.
Ferriter also noted the state has established regulations governing the medical marijuana industry.
“There”s belts and suspenders looking after what’s going on,” Ferriter said.
Credit : masslive
