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Cannabis Establishment Permitting and Licensing Process

1. A Host Community shall publicize certain information in a conspicuous location at its offices and on its website which shall, at minimum, include:
a. All required steps of a Host Community’s Local Approval Process including, but not limited to, all associated fees, deadlines, and meeting schedules for local bodies involved in the Local Approval Process;

NOTE: There is no specific application criteria or scoring for cannabis applicants in the City of Holyoke. Processes are covered by the Special Permit process outlined below.

Overview Steps for permitting and licensing a cannabis establishment in Holyoke.

NOTE: The process for permitting in Holyoke is a City Council Permit and therefore all submittal materials and information regarding filing and applying for the permit go through the City Clerk’s office. The Planning Board does preliminary and technical review and schedules the pre-application meeting to discuss the project, but the City Council is the authority on permit approval.

1. Secure a location; all license types (retail, manufacturing, delivery, lab, and cultivation) are allowed in the IG district, Holyoke’s General Industrial (or IG) zone. You need to demonstrate control of your site through a Letter of Intent (LOI,) a Lease, Purchase and Sale Agreement, or some written site control document, which must have a valid address, in order to request a Host Community Agreement (HCA.)

2. Request a Host Community Agreement (HCA); In order to request an HCA from the City, which is issued by the legal department and signed by the Mayor, a licensee must have an;

    • Established company with an Employment Identification Number,
    • A copy of the Articles of Organization from the Secretary of Commonwealth, and a;
    • Tax Compliance letter provided by the tax assessor’s office in City Hall confirming the receipt of all property taxes on the building.
    • Ownership or lease agreement of a  location that is property zoned
    • With these documents, deliver via PDF or in person to the Planning department

3. Hold a Community Outreach Meeting (COM); the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) requires a COM of all entities in order to submit an application for a Provisional license. Holyoke does not require this meeting but knowing how your abutters feel about you opening an establishment is a good idea before you pursue the project.

4. Request a pre-Applicaton meeting for your Special Permit with the Planning Department. Once you have a general floor plan or design for your project, including changes to the site and building structure, you must request a pre-application meeting. This will allow departments to get a sense of what your project will entail such as whether you will build a commercial kitchen, use chemical extraction, produce odor, what size the operation will be, etc.

5. Apply for a Special Permit; The Special Permit process, outlined below, and the state license process, can happen in parallel. You do not need to hold a valid Special Permit to seek Provisional licensing from the CCC and you do not need to hold a Provisional license to seek a Special Permit.

6. Apply for Building Permits; once the Special Permit is granted, building permits can be requested. Your architectural and renovation plans must comply with building code. With Building permits, and a Special Permit you can submit documents to the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) for Architectural Review approval.

7. Commence buildout; Your contractor can commence work with architectural approval from the CCC. Your site must comply with Fire Code requirements and a security plan must have local police approval. Anticipate that the entirety of your building must comply with fire and building codes. It is recommended that you discuss your project with the Fire department and building department to assess what is needed to comply before you commence construction.

8. Certificate of Occupancy; With build out complete, and a certificate of occupancy (CO) issued, you may request CCC inspections and pursue a Final license. There is no additional local approval required.

Special Permit Process: 

According to Holyoke Bylaws section 10.0, all cannabis establishments must apply for a Special Permit through the City Clerk. The process is as follows;

1. Read the Holyoke Bylaw Section 7.10 (Marijuana Facilities) and Section 10-1 Major Site Plan Review which outlines rules for marijuana establishments, and requirements for Special Permit.

2. Develop Architectural Plan and Site Plan. All facilities must submit a floor plan stamped by a professional architect as well as a site plan outlining parking, boundaries, curb cuts, etc. stamped by a survey/site engineer.

3. Request pre-Application departmental review;

a. The pre-app meeting is where City departments go over your floor plan and site plan and ask questions regarding your operations, your plan for parking, odor control, fire suppression, etc.

4. Write a “Development Impact Statement” summarizing your plans, project, etc. following the points in 10.1.6 of the Holyoke Bylaw. There are examples of other special permit narratives available online. Please list the specific bylaw section for each paragraph which specifies what you are addressing in your statement.

Items required in 935 CMR 500.180

c. A list of all documentation required by a Host Community’s Local Approval Process, in downloadable form and paper form;
https://www.holyoke.org/clerk-special-permits/

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