MARLBOROUGH – A medical marijuana dispensary on Boston Post Road East wants to move up the road.
However, several of its potential new neighbors are speaking against it.
On Monday, Dec. 16, the City Council held a public hearing for Garden Remedies, which is currently at 416 Boston Post Road. The dispensary is seeking an amendment to its special permit to allow it to move to 423 Lakeside Ave., in the space occupied by the Vitamin Shoppe.
According to attorney Brian Falk, who is representing Garden Remedies, the reasons for the move are mostly financial. He said store revenue has declined 48% from 2020 to 2023; store traffic has also declined, in part because of the construction project along Route 20.
“The location is less than ideal,” said Falk. “They would like to stay in the city.”
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He said that Garden Remedies has been a good neighbor, and it has taken part in community initiatives such as citywide cleanups and Sweats 4 Vets.
J.P. Gallagher, owner of Lost Shoe Brewery, said he supported the move, citing Garden Remedies’ assistance with the farmers market and Oktoberfest.
“They are a dedicated member of the chamber,” said Marlborough Regional Chamber of Commerce President Michelle Mercier.
However, others voiced concerns. Laura Butland, a resident of Ferrecchia Drive who owns the Stitch This embroidery shop at the Twinboro Plaza, was among those who spoke against the proposal.
“I cannot say a good thing about this,” she said.
Her shop is adjacent to a dispensary. Although she did not mention the shop by name, Butland spoke of her mostly negative experiences having the shop as a neighbor.
“We’ve had a horrific experience,” she said. “My plaza smells like a big skunk. My customers complain. I’ve lost business because of this business in my plaza, and I’ve run a business here for 29 years.”
She and other residents also cited traffic going through the neighborhood.
“It’s awful. The neighborhood’s a cut-through,” said Butland.
Although she favors Garden Remedies’ proposal to move, she wants them to consider another location along Route 20, preferably in an industrial center “off the beaten path.”
Overall, the proposal would “not be a good fit,” she said.
Butland asked members of the council to come and see for themselves before making a decision on the move.
The proposal has been sent to the council’s Urban Affairs Committee.
