• Home
  • News
  • Obituaries
  • Police & Fire
  • Sports
  • Education
  • Business
  • Real Estate
  • Advertise
  • Town
    • Westborough
    • Shrewsbury
    • Northborough
    • Marlborough
    • Hudson
    • Southborough
    • Grafton
  • Print Edition
Sign in
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Password recovery
Recover your password
Search
Wednesday, August 17, 2022
  • Events
    • Ongoing
  • Contact us
Sign in
Welcome! Log into your account
Forgot your password? Get help
Password recovery
Recover your password
A password will be e-mailed to you.
Community Advocate news and events Community Advocate
  • Shrewsbury
  • Westborough
  • Northborough
  • Southborough
  • Grafton
  • Marlborough/Hudson Edition
  • Home
  • News
  • Obituaries
  • Police & Fire
  • Sports
  • Education
  • Business
  • Real Estate
  • Advertise
  • Town
    • Westborough
    • Shrewsbury
    • Northborough
    • Marlborough
    • Hudson
    • Southborough
    • Grafton
  • Print Edition
Gillespie Real Estate Agent
How can the Community Advocate help you promote your business?
Print Ads
Web Ads
Digital Marketing
Home Byline Stories - News Couple applies for last available marijuana permit in Marlborough
  • Byline Stories - News
  • Marlborough
  • Marlborough Government
  • Marlborough/Hudson Newsletter

Couple applies for last available marijuana permit in Marlborough

By
Community Advocate
-
March 19, 2021
1071
Facebook
Twitter
Email

    City Council public hearing set for March 22

    By Vicki Greene, Contributing Writer

    Couple applies for last available marijuana permit in Marlborough
    Calverde owners Kelly and Steve Tomasello (Submitted photo)

    Marlborough – Kelly and Steve Tomasello of Winchester are strong believers in holistic medicine and alternative therapies. They’re also no strangers to the real estate development and retail management businesses.  Now, the couple have decided to take their combined skillsets to the world of adult recreational retail cannabis.

    The Tomasellos are seeking a special permit to build and open Calverde Naturals, an upscale recreational marijuana dispensary at 239 Boston Post Road West on the far end of the Hannaford’s plaza, across from the Apex Center. If approved, the Tomasellos hope to open during the first quarter of 2022.

    That, according to City Council President Michael Ossing would mean Calverde would take up the fourth and final available recreational marijuana permit in Marlborough.

    Tomasellos bring personal connection, experience, to marijuana business

    Steve Tomasello lost his father, a former Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) agent to Stage 4 Lung Cancer, nine years ago. He said his father was dedicated to a fitness regime and he remembers seeing his father’s bottles of vitamins and other remedies on the kitchen counter while growing up in Reading.

    Steve said that his father often put off going to the doctor, though, and didn’t take prescription medication or undergo chemotherapy once diagnosed with cancer.

    In hindsight, Steve said he believes his father would have used medical marijuana as a natural therapeutic substance if given the chance.

    Now, Steve is a partner at Atlantic Retail, a commercial real estate firm.

    Kelly has previously managed two Boston-area restaurants with additional years of boutique retail store management.

    The Tomasellos are launching this new Calverde effort based on those business and personal experiences.

    Currently, they remain in the regulatory process.

    <<STORY CONTINUED BELOW PHOTOS>>

    BEFORE AND AFTER - Marijuana dispensary aims to build on empty lot
    1 of 2
    Couple applies for last available marijuana permit in Marlborough
    BEFORE - The lot where Calverde hopes to build its dispensary currently sits empty. (Photo by/Dakota Antelman)
    Couple applies for last available marijuana permit in Marlborough
    AFTER - A rendering shows the proposed Calverde Naturals dispensary on Route 20 West (Submitted photo)

    State regulation pushes Calverde to build its own storefront

    If permitted, Calverde would occupy a newly-constructed 2,800 square ft. building situated across from the front entrance of Marlborough’s Chipotle restaurant.

    The Tomasellos recently told the Community Advocate they chose this Marlborough site for its geographic location, visibility on Route 20 and the fact that it was already zoned for retail use.

    They’re specifically constructing a new building, though, due to the proximity of the nearby Mountainside Children’s Center. Though the entrance to the Children’s Center is not connected to the same plaza as Calverde would be, state guidance bans dispensaries within 500 feet of daycares or any facilities geared towards children.

    Existing open storefronts in the same plaza would not satisfy those restrictions.

    Regardless, through these hurdles, Steve said Marlborough officials have been extremely helpful and added that the process has gone smoothly.

    As part of that process, Calverde held its required community outreach meeting for abutters within 400-feet of their proposed Route 20 site in August. Calverde has also held an “informal” meeting with the city’s Site Review Committee.

    Calverde positions to max out Marlborough marijuana market

    Couple applies for last available marijuana permit in Marlborough
    As Calverde seeks its permitting, it is hoping to become the fourth such dispensary to open, locally. As three other businesses have permits in hand, though, just one facility, Garden Remedies, is currently open. (Photo by Cheryl Arsenault)

    If the City Council grants Calverde its permits, it will inadvertently cap local marijuana development for the time being.

    The very state law that legalized marijuana in Massachusetts limited the number of available recreational licenses in a given city or town. It did so in much the same way that other laws allocate a finite number of liquor licenses.

    With three other facilities already permitted or operational in Marlborough, the city would have no permits left to hand out after Calverde arrives, barring change to state law, Ossing has said.

    The City Council will now meet with Calverde for a public hearing at 8pm on March 22.

    • TAGS
    • Calverde
    • Garden Remadies
    • Kelly Tomasello
    • Michael Ossing
    • Steve Tomasello
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Email
      Previous articleHudson volleyball splits twin matchups with South Lancaster High
      Next articleCharles M. Painton, 82, of Marlborough
      Community Advocate

      RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

      Marlborough

      Marlborough scout builds bridges for Eagle Scout project

      Featured News

      Marlborough firefighters recall Southborough fire response

      Hudson

      Hudson Post 100 wins the Chairman’s Cup

      Marlborough

      Marlborough DPW now recycling mattresses and box springs

      Hudson

      Rimkus: Three generations reunite at Cape Cod, HHS grad gets married

      Hudson

      Hudson pride on full display for Boston 25 Zip Trip

      Featured News

      • Marlborough firefighters recall Southborough fire response

      • Hudson Post 100 wins the Chairman’s Cup

      • Rimkus: Three generations reunite at Cape Cod, HHS grad gets married

      • Hudson pride on full display for Boston 25 Zip Trip

      • Marlborough police seeks community’s help after safe found

      Follow Us

      Sign Up For Our Newsletter


      Archives

      community advocate logo
      ABOUT US

      The Community Advocate is an independently owned newspaper with a legacy of over 40 years serving the communities of Westborough, Hudson, Marlborough, Northborough, Shrewsbury, Southborough and Grafton. It is also the number-one circulated paper in those communities. We cover a wide variety of breaking news, municipal issues, human interest features and sports stories.

      For Advertising Inquiries:
      [email protected]

      For editorial inquiries:
      [email protected]

      Contact us: [email protected]
      FOLLOW US
      • Events
        • Ongoing
      • Contact us
      © Community Advocate. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy