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Page 2 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, DECEmbEr 8, 2023 CHALLENGE | FROM PAGE 1 hind his chief political rival, Panetta, who got 473 more votes than the runner-up in the selectmen’s race. Panetta said she expects the hearings will go much smoother when they resume Tuesday night than at previous hearings. “We have seven applicants for marijuana retail licenses. Each applicant will come before the board and they will have an opportunity to speak,” Panetta told The Saugus Advocate this week. “I anticipate the board voting on Tuesday. All the abutters have been notified along with the applicants,” she said. Cogliano declined to comment on next week’s session. Selectman Michael Serino, who was critical of the way Cogliano had presided over the previous hearing sessions, also did not wish to comment. Selectman Corinne Riley maintained a positive outlook on the potential for one or more retail pot businesses locating in Saugus. “The marijuana hearings have been going on for several months. There were several good candidates that, in my opinion, were a good fit for our town,” Riley told The Saugus Advocate this week. “I look forward to wrapping up the hearings, if the board decides to do so, and getting one or two establishments on Route 1 for additional tax income,” she said. If a company receives the unanimous backing of the four selectmen who will vote, the next step would be to enter into a host community agreement with the town manager. And, finally, the Cannabis Control Commission would have to issue them a license. (Selectman Jeff Cicolini recused himself from participating in the hearings because of a potential conflict of interest – one of the seven Our 51st Anniversary Dan - 1972 We Sell Cigars & Accessories! ALL MAJOR BRANDS Singles * Tins * Bundles * Boxes * Travel Humidors * Desk Top Humidors * Many Types of Lighters * Ash Trays * Juuls * Vapes * Glass Pipes * Rewards Program * CBD Infused Products * GIFTS UNDER $30 - GIFT CERTIFICATES TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR STOREWIDE PRICE REDUCTIONS! STORE HOURS: Sun. - Wed.: 9AM - 6PM / Thurs. - Sat. 9AM - 7PM The Holiday Season is Here! R.Y.O. TOBACCO & TUBES ON SALE! WE MAKE HOUSE KEYS! -------------------WE HAVE GIFT CARDS! Green Label Cigar Sale! Buy 2 Cigars, Get One FREE! A.B.C. CIGAR 170 REVERE ST., REVERE (781) 289-4959 Chris - 2023 companies is a client of his accounting firm.) It’s possible that the hearings may end without selectmen issuing an S-2 permit, which will require a unanimous vote of the four selectmen who will be voting. S-2 permits require four-fifths approval. Getting all four remaining selectmen votes poses a challenge, though, as Selectman Michael Serino had previously said that he would prefer to see a ballot question be put before Saugus voters. If Serino sticks to that position, the board won’t have the necessary votes to issue any S-2 permits. Even if Serino decides to participate in a vote, consensus remains a huge challenge, especially for Uma Flowers, which was the unanimous selection of the seven-member Marijuana Establishment Review Committee (MERC). In its report, the MERC ranked Uma Flowers as the best-suited location for an adult-use cannabis business in Saugus. With a proposed location at 24 Broadway (Route 1 North), Uma Flowers achieved a perfect score of 140 total points, based on an “exceptional” rating by each member in each of the five categories that were considered. But Cogliano has publicly criticized the MERC report and its top recommendation of Uma Flowers. Cogliano said he disagrees with the MERC for only recommending two permits, when it could have three. “I don’t agree with that report, whatsoever,” Cogliano said. He said the committee failed to do thorough research before making its recommendations. “That report is inconclusive. It makes no sense to me,” Cogliano said. Cogliano also said the MERC report was unfair and “vindictive” toward the businesses where he had disclosed a potential conflict. Panetta and Serino have questioned how he could be objective in voting with his potential conflicts of interest. There is also the matter of the town’s zoning bylaw that prohibits the locating of two recreational marijuana retail establishments within 1,000 feet of each other. Cogliano has openly supported the application of Bostica LLC, with a proposed site at 44 Broadway, the site of the former Donatello Ristorante and Oye’s Restaurant. It is situated close to Uma Flowers’ site. Attorney Valerio Romano, who represents Uma Flowers, noted in a letter to the board that “it is a reasonable inference that despite the MERC’s independent assessment, the chair believes that Bostica’s S-2 application should be awarded and Uma’s should be denied.” With only four of five selectmen voting, it appears possible that neither Uma Flowers nor Bostica can obtain enough votes for an S-2 permit. Both Selectmen Panetta and Serino said they believe comments Cogliano recently made about Uma Flowers could cost the town financially. “Quite frankly, I think we’re going to end up in a court battle here,” Serino said, referring to the detailed letter from Attorney Romano, which challenged several criticisms Cogliano made about Uma Flowers. Here is a summary of the MERC report’s ranking of the seven companies vying for the three S-2 permits. The review committee used a point system in recommending the two establishments that members believe were best suited for doing business in Saugus. · Uma Flowers, LLC with a proposed location at 24 Broadway (Route 1 North) – the site of a former house that was torn down – was the unanimous selection of the seven-member committee, achieving a perfect score of 140 total points, based on an “exceptional” rating by each member in each of the five categories that were considered. The site is considered ideal, as it is the farthest north on Route 1 near the Lynnfield line and the farthest away from the Malden dispensary, which is already open and operating. The site abuts conservation land, is already zoned appropriately and does not pose residential or school issues. · Sanctuary Medicinals, with a proposed location of 181 Broadway (Route 1 South), also received a favorable recommendation to be issued a special permit for zoning by selectmen to locate at the site of the former 99 Restaurant. The business received a total of 118 points out of a possible 140. “The Respondent’s proposed location is advantageous, and its extensive cannabis experience and current vertical integration business model are significant benefits,” the committee concluded in its analysis. “The Respondent appeared to be one of the strongest positioned to open, succeed, CHALLENGE| SEE PAGE 4

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