Article to be Voted on at Special Town Meeting
Town Administrator Mallory Aronstein would like to share information with Swansea residents about the upcoming citizen’s petition to create a Marijuana Establishments Overlay District which will be voted on at a Special Town Meeting.
The Town of Swansea will host a Special Town Meeting on Thursday, March 23, at 7:30 p.m. at the Joseph Case High School, 70 School St.
At the Special Town Meeting, attendees will be asked to vote on the proposed amendment of the Zoning Bylaw and Zoning Map of the Town of Swansea to create a Marijuana Establishment Overlay District.
To view the warrant article for the citizen’s petition, click here.
The proposed Marijuana Establishments Overlay District will be comprised of those portions of the Business B District and the Manufacturing Districts consisting of lots 23 and 24C of the current Assessors Map 74.
The property is currently split-zoned with the front portion zoned Business B and the rear portion zoned Manufacturing. Marijuana Establishments are currently only allowed in the Manufacturing zoning district. The petition would allow the property owner to utilize the existing building in the front portion of the property at 610 GAR Highway as a marijuana dispensary as opposed to demolishing the current building and constructing a new facility in the rear portion of the property.
On March 6, the Planning Board voted to recommend the Marijuana Establishments Overlay District bylaw. The Board indicated that having the use in the current building, closer to Rt. 6 in the Business B zoning district, would be a safer alternative than in a new building located further back in the Manufacturing zoning district.
Should the petition pass, all underlying zoning districts will remain in effect and will not be impacted/modified by the superimposition of the Marijuana Establishments Overlay District.
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