Commission approves dispensary

The Planning and Zoning Commission approved a medical marijuana dispensary at its meeting on Monday, March 24.The motion to approve the dispensary was made by Commission alternate Michael Renzullo and seconded by Commission member Barbara Wilkes.The motion was approved by Commission Vice-Chairman Craig Sanden, members Susan Closson, Renzullo and Wilkes.Commission member Art Melycher was the lone vote against the motion to approve the dispensary.Melycher did not say why he voted against the dispensary. However, at a previous public hearing in December, Melycher’s wife Monica Melycher spoke out against the medical marijuana dispensary. Commission Chairman Mike Peacock was not present at the meeting.The meeting was the end of five months of meetings concerning the dispensary.On Nov. 25, James Dietz, president of the Nutmeg State Health and Wellness Center, presented plans for the commission during a regular meeting.At the meeting, Dietz said 26 companies applied for a dispensary license from the state.Dietz proposed to the commission to open a licensed medical marijuana dispensary at a building which was formerly a Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise on New Hartford Road.At the time, commission members complained that the town’s zoning regulations would not allow for a medical marijuana dispensary in town.In December, the commission shot down the company’s proposal and held subsequent meetings in order to update the town’s zoning codes.During the commission’s meeting on Feb. 24, the board changed the town’s zoning regulations in order to allow for medical marijuana dispensaries and production facilities.At the meeting on March 24, the commission held a public hearing on the proposed facility and zoning regulation changes.The public hearing was the third related to the medical marijuana dispensary.Only two residents spoke at the hearing: Mariana Sarfo of Hinsdale Avenue and Selectman George Closson.Sarfo spoke strongly against the facility and said she was “totally” against it.“The medicinal value of marijuana is very questionable,” Sarfo said. “I think anybody who would permit this in Winsted is a fool. The reputation of this town is bad enough with what happened with [Former Finance Director] Henry Centrella.”Sarfo said she is in the medical profession and has worked as a nurse.“I have had hundreds of patients over the past 10 years and I would say 85 percent of them were cancer patients,” she said. “I have never had one patient on marijuana. There are people who have had forged prescriptions for Oxycontin. There are some doctors out there who will give prescriptions to anybody. I think it is a big mistake to have this facility here. There are already medications out there to help people with cancer. I am very upset.”Closson said the board needed to remain focused on zoning regulations and the application.“I think the issue that she just spoke about was about the pros and cons of marijuana,” Closson said. “The issue that is before you is the application. The issue is not about whether you approve of [marijuana], It is also if the merits of this application has been approved to your satisfaction. You need to deal with these issues instead of whether or not [marijuana] is good or not. We all have personal opinions on this.”Sarfo tried to speak out again against the facility, but Sanden would not let her.“We are here to go by the regulations,” Sanden said. “I don’t have a position on this and I am only speaking for myself. Zoning is not what’s good, bad or indifferent. It’s only about what zoning is concerned. I am not a moralist.”Sanden said that Public Works Department Neil Amwake, Zoning Enforcement Officer Marc Melanson, Fire Marshall Steve Williams and Police Chief Robert Scannell all reviewed the plans for the dispensary and did not have any issues with the application.After the application was approved, Dietz said he was happy with the commission’s decision.However, Dietz said the commission’s approval does not automatically mean that the dispensary will ever be built.Dietz said the state still needs to decide whether or not to grant a license to the dispensary.He said the state is scheduled to make a decision in April, but even that is not set in stone.“It has been a long road,” Dietz said. “Really, it’s in the state’s hands now. It’s a big question mark on when we might hear from them. Hopefully we are still in the running for a license.”Dietz said that if the company does get a license from the state they would be able to open within 45 days of receiving the license.