Cape Ann Online

It's not a concern, but a real worry that the town's around us will want glosta to host the pot shops, just as we do the homeless.

Aren't there a shit ton of homeless people in Beverly too?

They are stalking about Rockport, Essex, Manchester. Yes Beverly does.

Cape Ann Web wrote:

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There's a concern that other North Shore communities will ban pot shops leaving Gloucester as the lone provider in a wide area.  I just had a lol moment thinking about traffic implications and potential "Visit Gloucester" tag lines and logos.

How about: "Visit Gloucester, we've gone to pot" or....." Gloucester, where the grass is always greener" or "There's a new reefer in town" or "Gloucester, it's not just lobster pots anymore"

I fully support all of those slogans!

Whatever.

The forums for this are all done. I did attend one of them. There will be a public hearing on September 26.  You can also call or write your City Councilors with your thoughts in advance of that.

The city is considering options including a moratorium to look into the matter more (and seem to be leaning strongly toward...as have most neighboring communities.)  They can do this without a ballot question or with one.


Other options are limiting or banning completely any retail stores in Gloucester.  The default is 4 or more stores (based on 20% of liquor licenses or something like that) so anything less needs to go to the ballot here since Gloucester voted 58% in favor of legalization.


There was also discussion of locations...industrial parks seemed to be the most favored by the people in attendance.  


I think the audiences were likely self-selective...important issue one way or another.  The one I attended (not in my Ward) had a lot of people against having any retail here at all.  I heard that the  Ward 4 precinct near Lanesville was strongly in favor of moving ahead with retail as the voters intended.  


Lots of things on the table and decision will probably be made in September so if you have opinions on this, let your Councilors know.

this is an election year. it will be interesting to see what the council does when people's memories are fresh. or doesn't do by delaying it until after the election when no one will remember in two years.

I do not much care what the city does as long as they stay
within the original intent of the voters. I am very angry
about our state representatives kicking the voters in the teeth,
but do not have any serious interest in the question itself.

Karly wrote:

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The forums for this are all done. I did attend one of them. There will be a public hearing on September 26.  You can also call or write your City Councilors with your thoughts in advance of that.

The city is considering options including a moratorium to look into the matter more (and seem to be leaning strongly toward...as have most neighboring communities.)  They can do this without a ballot question or with one.


Other options are limiting or banning completely any retail stores in Gloucester.  The default is 4 or more stores (based on 20% of liquor licenses or something like that) so anything less needs to go to the ballot here since Gloucester voted 58% in favor of legalization.


There was also discussion of locations...industrial parks seemed to be the most favored by the people in attendance.  


I think the audiences were likely self-selective...important issue one way or another.  The one I attended (not in my Ward) had a lot of people against having any retail here at all.  I heard that the  Ward 4 precinct near Lanesville was strongly in favor of moving ahead with retail as the voters intended.  


Lots of things on the table and decision will probably be made in September so if you have opinions on this, let your Councilors know.

I'm curious, was there any coherent reason why people wanted to limit or ban retail stores despite the majority of voters being in favor of it?

Limiting the dispensaries to industrial parks also seems silly. That would put them out of reach for many people. There are many spaces in the downtown area available for rent that would be appropriate for retail shops.

gator...you might want to check...the lit they passed out had Rockport on the moratorium/ban list.

Reasons I heard were...(1) we will be the only place on the North Shore with retail shops and everyone will come here (undesirables, etc)  and (2)  gummy bears and kids.


No one knows yet on how many places on the North Shore will have them...a lot have done a moratorium (which means more time to figure out what to do) but fewer have banned.  Gloucester can't ban without a vote.

but we have a wet shelter (downtown) and a methadone clinic (started downtown and is still in a residential area) I would prefer someone buying pot and think they are a lot less 'undesirable'

talk to the people who live near AGH about the issues they are having with the methadone place. I'll bet they would prefer a pot shop. and probably the abutters to the shelter would too.

even tho we voted for, I'll bet there is a lot of 'reefer madness' being used to sway this vote in the future.

"even tho we voted for, I'll bet there is a lot of 'reefer madness' being used to sway this vote in the future. "
- Night is on the money. "Undesirables"?! They must mean all the adults and professionals everywhere around us in every town and city who smoke cannabis.

I think most of these people were not in the 58%,  BI.  Some were very fearful of retail shops.  

There were some very good comments as well...about respecting the voters' decision and about it being OK for Gloucester to make decisions ahead of some of the other towns rather than following.  It sounds like the best meeting for going ahead as voted on was the Ward 4 precinct meeting at Lanesville Community Center.

You are demonstrably decent and fair-minded, karly....but do not be led into complacency by the 'Reefer Madness' machinations of most City Councilors, who are reactionaries. Their arguments thus far have been specious and reaching, at best. Did you see that absurdly partisan and inaccurate PowerPoint made by or for the School Department?! Argh! Martians! What about the children?!

  Oh...I wasn't influenced by the dramatic statements.  Though I have to say the people leading the meeting were very open to hearing all views. I attended the meeting because I want to see retail shops here and was afraid that there might be an effort underway to undermine the vote.  I'm just reporting here what people said at the one I went to.  As I said it was a self-selective audience so not necessarily representing the average voter's views.  

that's what I love about CAO. you can be at odds with a person one minute, and agreeing with them in the next!!! Some of us DO respect the other's opinions without it getting personal.

Anyone who wants to weigh in on this (whether because you want to buy some or because you don't like votes being undermined) should come to the Sept 26 public hearing.  I am quite sure that the people who are extremely against retail shops here will be there speaking. You can additionally call or email City Councilors.

I'd like to see pot shops in Rockport, not Gloucester. A flip flop of Gloucester hosting liquor stores and Rockport not! What's fair is fair.

I think Rockport was considering beer and wine sales if they could get a grocery store to open here but that never materialized. I'd still like to see a package store in the Whistlestop Mall area. It's about friggin time already.