Pepperell Selectmen Reorganize, Begin Marijuana Retailer Negotiations in Railroad Square

PEPPERELL -- November 19, 2019, Pepperell Board of Selectmen reorganizes under newly elected member and greenlights marijuana shop talks. The board, meeting November 19 with freshly sworn-in member Joe Radvich, unanimously named Bill Greathead as Chair and Margaret Scarsdale as Clerk before turning to a request from Town Administrator Andrew Clem to negotiate a host community agreement with Uma Flowers, a marijuana retailer that already owns the Railroad Square building housing the local 7-Eleven, the first serious applicant to clear the property-ownership hurdle. Clem noted a 3 percent state sales tax plus up to 3 percent in local impact fees would be available, cautioning that early-opening Lunenburg generated only about $250,000 in first-year sales. The board continued a special permit hearing to December 9 for Derek and Alicia Miller to take over a 38-year-old commercial kennel at 41 Cranberry Street from retiring operators Colin and Angela Howells, pending submission of a business plan by December 3. Separately, the board voted to adopt a quarterly prorated fee schedule for new business liquor licenses and to prorate the existing license held by the newly opened Lazy Bubble restaurant at one quarter of the annual fee.