What’s Next for Liquor Licenses, Marijuana Dispensaries in Danvers?

Danvers Town Meeting approved articles about adding liquor licenses for Danvers eateries and creating a marijuana dispensary overlay district on Monday.

The question some may be wondering is: What happens next?

Here’s what to expect for the two issues:

Liquor licenses

Town Meeting approved asking the State House to introduce a home rule petition to allow Danvers to add six more alcohol licenses. Danvers was already at its limit based on its population, but the Board of Selectmen say there are more Danvers restaurants that want liquor licenses.

Town Meeting's approval on Monday means a home rule petition will go to the State House. Both the House and Senate need to approve the added licenses and it needs Gov. Deval Patrick's signature. 

State Rep. Ted Speliotis had already introduced legislation asking that Danvers be allowed to increase its liquor licenses by one for Turner's Seafood. That bill, H.288, is currently in the Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee at the State House. 

Marijuana dispensary overlay district

Town Meeting created a district for marijuana dispensaries that includes Route 1 to the west, including parcels abutting Industrial Drive and Electronics Avenue, and parcels bordering Conant Street to the north, including all parcels abutting Cherry Hill Drive.

Danvers passed a moratorium on dispensaries in 2013 so the Planning Board could research the matter and forward a proposal.

The Planning Board chose those locations because they have “excellent road access, offer a variety of available spaces suitable for a range of [Registered Marijuana Dispensaries] uses, and are geographically situated in areas that are relatively isolated from surrounding residential uses,” according to the Town Meeting Warrant.

The state approved 20 marijuana dispensary locations last week. The closest location is in Salem.

The state law allows the Department of Public Health to allow up to 35 dispensaries, which means when the next round of dispensaries are approved, Danvers has a zoning district for those businesses in place and a dispensary won't open in an area that the town may find objectionable. 

Other than Salem, the other closest dispensaries approved by the state are in Haverhill and Boston.