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Date: 2/8/2022
SPRINGFIELD – The City Council hosted a special meeting on Feb. 1 to continue ongoing conversations about licensed marijuana establishments. Discussions around the different business ventures ultimately shifted to the questioning of the city’s selection process for dispensary applicants and their Host Community Agreements (HCA).
Diem Eyeing Eastfield Mall
Attorney Brian Shea spoke on behalf of Diem Springfield LLC’s special permit request to operate a dispensary at 1685 Boston Rd. The location exists as a part of the Eastfield Mall, with Diem proposing to move into the former Macy’s space. Diem also applied for a special permit to establish a cultivation center at the same location.
While the dispensary portion of Diem’s business received an HCA, the cultivation center did not receive approval from the city. Owner of the developing Springfield location Luiselis Hernandez expressed frustration about not receiving approval, believing that the company achieved the proper steps for cultivation consideration.
Shea explained that the business is moving forward without a cultivation permit request because Diem still views itself as a fitting applicant. “We believe we’re the only qualified applicant in the city of Springfield, so we’ve requested special permit approval even though we haven’t been selected or invited to negotiate an HCA,” said Shea.
A central reason for requesting the permit is that Diem could eventually be selected by the city if negotiations stall with the HCA cultivation applicant chosen by Springfield, according to Shea. State Rep. Carlos Gonzalez joined the meeting to offer his support of Hernandez and Diem.
“Springfield has a great opportunity to be another city of firsts…For too long, many individuals, particularly in the Latino and African American community, have been locked up because of marijuana. Now, we can make history by making the first woman, the first Latina and the first person of color to have a grower’s license. I think it’s long overdue,” said Gonzalez.
Speaking on the dispensary portion of the business, Operating Partner Chris Mitchem discussed his experience in the cannabis industry. Mitchem initially started retail and cultivation locations in Oregon before expanding to Worcester and Lynn, respectively. He stressed that his business is a family-owned company with no corporate interest, utilizing their platform to implement top of the line safety procedures and diversified hiring across each location.
Councilor At-Large Jesse Lederman inquired about Diem’s unique mall location. While Shea agreed the concept is unique, he explained that the appeal of the space comes from its sturdy infrastructure and ample amount of space.
“It’s a really great way to get in and obtain a lot of space that has incredible infrastructure…If its structured correctly and you protect minors from a facility like this, which can easily be done, I think it’s a great reuse for a property like this,” said Shea, who shared that MSNBC approached Diem to highlight the business’ innovative approach. Mitchem also ensured the council that a cultivation center would not generate aroma issues if they are eventually rewarded a HCA for cultivation.
Both special permit requests were approved for continuation by the City Council.
Enlite elicits debate
Chief Operating Officer of Enlite Cannabis Dispensary Matt Yee introduced a special permit request to open a dispensary at 479 Main St., Indian Orchard, Enlite will be re-purposing the former bank space to accommodate their business, with Enlite engineering consultant Filipe Cravo sharing that they will not utilize the location’s drive-thru lane while maintaining the space’s brick-based design.
Ward 8 Councilor Zaida Govan shared that Enlite presented their business to the Indian Orchard’s Citizen Council. She expressed that both the members of that council and the citizens showed support for the incoming business.
During the special permit testimony period, attorney and Origins Sales LLC representative Valerio Romano shifted the conversation toward the city’s HCA selection process, revealing that he saw discrepancies in the HCA scoring that prevented his clients from receiving accreditation.
“I saw very clearly in the results from the audit that there was some sort of deficiency in the scoring that has yet to be resolved. Unfortunately, my client Origins Sale LLC, would’ve actually been moved up to a position of getting an HCA,” said Romano.
Romano’s perspective generated ample debate about an ongoing topic in the city. Councilor At-Large Justin Hurst said the number of errors during the second round of the HCA process were “extremely glaring,” with Origins finishing in fifth based on the scoring but ultimately placed outside the group of six accepted applicants. He also stressed that if the results were based solely on scoring, Enlite would not rank as one of the applicants receiving an HCA.
Councilor At-Large Tracye Whitfield agreed with Hurst about flaws in the HCA process. “Some folks who got chosen had very low scores in the process,” said Whitfield.
The City Council ultimately approved Enlite’s special permit request, noting that conversation surrounding the HCA process will continue in the near future.