WHATELY — With its special permit renewed after a change of ownership, ToroVerde’s retail marijuana dispensary is planning to finally open its doors this summer, more than four years after receiving its initial permit.

At its Thursday meeting, the Zoning Board of Appeals gave Nectarize, ToroVerde III LLC’s new owner, the green light to open a retail dispensary in the red building at the Sugarloaf Shoppes, located at the intersection of Routes 5, 10 and 116. Nectarize is owned by Pathik “PJ” Patel.

Phil Silverman, an attorney representing Nectarize and Patel, said the store is pretty much ready to open, but they are still waiting for the state Cannabis Control Commission to approve its final license.

“Quite frankly, the facility is ready to open in two or three months,” Silverman told the ZBA. “Everything is the same, other than the ownership. … You don’t even need to change the name on the permit.”

ToroVerde initially received special permit approval to open a dispensary in 2019, but never did. The site has not been dormant, however, as work has been steadily progressing in the building as ToroVerde sought out potential buyers. During this process, the town extended the business’ host community agreement twice.

The ZBA briefly deliberated on approving the permit, with Vice Chair Debra Carney, acting as chair, noting there really aren’t any changes to the project.

“This seems very straightforward to me,” Carney said. “The other boards in town have concurred that this is a legitimate change.”

Silverman and Patel both agreed to the prior conditions on the permit, which require full CCC licensure before beginning operation, securing the iron fence on the west side of the property, restoring the stop sign exiting onto Routes 5 and 10, and retaining a police detail if needed for public safety.

Patel also purchased ToroVerde’s planned dispensary locations in Northampton and Greenfield, and is seeking to run a “regional operation,” according to Silverman. He explained Nectarize purchased ToroVerde’s three different license holders and each shop will have different stock depending on what sells best in each community.

“They each operate on their own as separate entities,” Silverman explained, saying management would adapt to local preferences in a similar way to liquor stores. “They’ll all find their own little niche in the community.”

The Whately dispensary’s targeted opening date is July 5, but that could change depending on how quickly the state approves the final license.

“I don’t want to disappoint my client,” Silverman joked. “Sometimes it takes a little longer with the CCC.”

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.]]>