Appeal Filed Against New Bethel Marijuana Dispensary

Reported by Paula Antolini

A medical marijuana dispensary sparked much controversy when Bethel residents found out about it only after is was approved.

The dispensary owners, Angela D'Amico and Karen Barski of D&B Wellness, Inc., who are Trumbull residents, recently submitted an application to open the "Compassionate Care Center of Connecticut" at 4 Garella Road in Bethel, CT. The business was then quickly approved by town zoning official Steven Palmer after only a week of review, and just two days before a state deadline, and within days of when the applicant's eligibility for one of six state dispensary licenses would be able to be obtained from the state Department of Consumer Protection.

This will be Fairfield County's only dispensary.  Palmer ruled this a retail operation.  First Selectman Matt Knickerbocker also agreed with this approval.

Three other towns had turned down Angela D'Amico and Karen Barski before this, namely Stratford, Bridgeport and Redding. Other towns such as Newtown, are in the process of continuing a public hearing on June 5, 2014, which began on May 15, 2014, because they need more time to consider a proposal to create new zoning regulations that would allow them to place a moratorium on certain land use applications.  The proposal also includes applying a one year moratorium on medical marijuana growing and dispensing locally. 

On May 22, 2014, Attorney Peter Olson filed an appeal for two Bethel residents, Michael J. Moore and Philip M. Lombino, who reside in the same neighborhood as the dispensary, about a quarter mile away. Documents were filed with the Zoning Board of Appeals disputing the legality of the dispensary.  Moore and Lombino argue that the strict location and operation criteria for this type of business is not appropriate because they do not believe that the dispensary follows the definition of a retail operation since it is not open to the public and must follow stringent state regulations in how medical marijuana is sold to only certified patients suffering from specific illnesses. There is also apparently question 2007 land records for the building, possibly not including a special permit needed for construction of a second building on a single lot. If this is proven true then the building cannot be occupied.

The dispensary owners have now offered to give "information sessions" to residents, about the merits of medical marijuana, and some residents are now left scratching their heads as to why this was not done before approval, and why residents were not notified about this controversial topic beforehand like many other towns' residents were, so they could have a voice in the matter. They feel this is not the typical retail store but a more controversial topic that needed addressing.

Town officials and dispensary owners say everything "is legal" yet many residents complain town officials did not feel a need to tell residents anything until it was approved, and even then, most people found the information via other news sources. This seems to be a larger complaint, as most residents would have been open to hear information about this topic had it been offered beforehand.

The Zoning Board of Appeals meeting is on June 17, 2014, at the Clifford J. Hurgin Municipal Center.