Dana Cummings, who splits his time between California and Livermore Falls, received permission Tuesday to open a medical marijuana store at the former J.P.’s Corner Store at 31 Pleasant St. in Livermore Falls. Donna M. Perry/Sun Journal

LIVERMORE FALLS  — Selectmen voted 3-0 Tuesday to accept the sixth retail marijuana store application.

Selectperson Ernie Souther was unavailable to attend the meeting, which followed a public hearing. The fifth seat on the board is vacant.

DEAT owner Dana Cummings plans to open the business at the former J.P.’s Corner Store at 31 Pleasant St. He splits his time between California, where his children live, and Livermore Falls.

Selectmen have 15 days to issue a written license to Cummings, if everything complies with the town’s medical marijuana facility ordinance. The ordinance was approved last year and is being revised and reviewed by legal counsel. It will be brought to voters at a later date.

Cummings plans to hire a person to monitor the entrance and require all patrons to show proof of a state-issued identification and state-issued Office of Marijuana Policy card to make purchases, according to the application.

All marijuana products will be in locked display cases. Staff will have keyed access and only remove product upon sale.

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Cummings’ site review application had been tabled by the Planning Board in June for a traffic and parking study.

Prior to approval, Cummings told the Select Board that he has worked out the parking with the Planning Board to use space at the adjacent former Primary School building, which he owns. He is willing to move the front of the store to the Church Street side. The front door now opens onto Pleasant Street.

Another retail medical marijuana store is on Baldwin Street. Four others are on Main Street.

Cummings is also willing to put no parking signs up on the Baldwin Street side.

He said he was also told by a representative of the Maine Department of Transportation that the designated parking on Church Street, which is state Route 133, is left up to the Select Board’s discretion.

Resident Roger Moulton, who owns The Local Joint on Baldwin Street, asked when selectmen were going to cap the number of medical marijuana stores in town.

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Selectman William Kenniston said some are in favor and some are not.

“Not all of us are in agreement of caps,” said Chairman Jim Long, who favors limiting the number.

The proposed revised ordinance has a maximum number of three businesses in the village area and three outside of it. There is no limit to the number of stores.

“We will be talking about the ordinance at our next meeting,” Long said. “We hope to revise the whole thing.”

The next meeting is at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 18 at the Town Office.


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