В Помфрете планируют открыть первую конопляную аптеку на севере округа Чаутауога

Trending A marijuana retail store is being proposed in the northern end of Chautauqua County, which, if approved, would be the first one in the Dunkirk/Fredonia area. The Chautauqua County Planning Board was notified that Empire Smoke Shop 9 is seeking a Special Use Permit for an adult-use cannabis retail dispensary to be placed at 10376 Route 60, Pomfret. That is the location of the former Valu Home Center, which now has spots for multiple businesses. Currently In that plaza is an auto parts store, a sub shop, a liquor store and a hair salon chain. Each store operates independently. According to a letter sent to the Pomfret zoning and planning clerk, which was crafted by the law firm Barclay Damon LLP, no expansion of the existing building footprints is proposed, and the project will utilize existing parking facilities, access drives and site infrastructure. "The project is compatible with the commercial character of the mixed-use corridor district, is served by adequate parking and access facilities, will not alter the essential character of the neighborhood, and will utilize an existing commercial tenant space within an established commercial corridor," the letter states. According to the law firm, the proposed use complies with the cannabis-specific requirements of the zoning code and will be licensed and regulated by the state Office of Cannabis Management. "All cannabis products will be stored, displayed, and sold within the building in accordance with applicable state and local requirements," the letter states. All sales will occur within the enclosed commercial building. "No outdoor storage, display, processing or on-site consumption is proposed," the letter states. Pomfret Zoning and Planning Clerk Nicole Waite is out of this office this week. An email to the Pomfret Code Office was not returned. Pomfret Town Supervisor Dan Pacos said as far as he knows, the Pomfret Zoning Board of Appeals has yet to schedule the public hearing. He said he believes the town Zoning Board will have the final say on the matter on the Special Use Permit. Generally, only alternative energy projects need an additional approval from the Pomfret Town Board. The Special Use Permit is required before the dispensary can open. A representative with Empire Smoke Shop 9 was reached by phone and said they hope to go before the Zoning Board in September. The representative, who goes by "A.K.", said they have two other dispensaries, one in Buffalo and one in Batavia. This one will be their third. Those two, which are being rebranded, and this proposed one will all be called Marz Cannabis. "We're excited to be the first licensed dispensary in the Fredonia area," he added. According to the CHQ Chamber website, there are no cannabis dispensaries in the northern end of the county. There are a few in Jamestown.