Mt. Marcy Farms is proposed in the former AeroMed building at 251 W. Main St., while Sanctuary Gardens is proposed in a former bank building at 161 Church St.
The Amsterdam Planning Commission will hold public hearings on each proposal during Wednesday’s meeting at 6 p.m.
Grant Egelston, housing inspector for the city, confirmed that the proposed uses respectively in the commercial corridor and employment zoning districts are allowed with special permits.
The applicants will need to prove the businesses won’t negatively impact the surrounding neighborhoods to secure approval from the Planning Commission.
“Both being close to residential, that’s their challenge,” Egelston said. “The board has to be confident there won’t be a negative impact.”
Jake Karker and Jake Davis say their plans for Mt. Marcy Farms will be an asset to the city, enhancing the neighborhood after they invest hundreds of thousands of dollars into renovating a neglected property inside and out with frontage on both West Main and Division streets.
“We really think it’s going to be great for the community. It’s going to beautify a building and street, create at least 20 jobs, which every community needs and appreciates, and it’s going to stimulate the local economy,” Davis said.
The co-owners of Karker, Hess and Davis LLC are in their third year growing cannabis in Schoharie under an Adult-Use Conditional Cultivator license issued by the state Office of Cannabis Managemen (OCM). They were licensed hemp growers for three years before that.
Since they already have a cultivator license, Karker said it’s an automatic pathway to secure the Adult-Use Microbusiness license they’ve applied for to cultivate cannabis indoors and sell their own products in a small on-site shop, as well as distribute them to other licensed dispensaries.
The retail side of the business will be smaller than licensed dispensaries carrying goods from any number of state licensed manufacturers. But Karker and Hess said operating a microbusiness will provide them more control over all aspects of the operation from production to distribution.
“There will be a big emphasis on security at this location, so it should be very safe,” Karker said.
Mt. Marcy Farms, an adult-use cannabis microbusiness, is proposed in the former AeroMed building at 251 W. Main St. in Amsterdam. The building entrance on Division Street is shown on Friday.
Surveillance cameras will blanket the site inside and out. There will be secure doors throughout the building and employee parking will be accessed by a gated entry on West Main Street. Customers will present identification in a secure vestibule before entering the showroom on Division Street.
Bringing their grow operations indoors will similarly enable them to more closely manage the conditions than farming outdoors at the mercy of ever-changing weather. LED lighting will be used to ensure the sustainability and efficiency of the operation. A carbon filtration system will prevent any odors from escaping the building.
“Controlling the environment can produce a higher quality and safer product,” Davis said.
The slow roll out of retail licenses has created another challenge for growers to actually sell their products. Karker and Hess said they’ve been cautious in their approach and the microbusiness is a natural progression.
“Farming is inherently tough, and a new industry such as cannabis makes it even harder,” Davis said. “We wanted to watch the market before really investing time and money.”
Both Karker and Hess are from the Schoharie community and come from farming backgrounds. Their initial interest in hemp related to its environmental benefits.
“When the state gave us the opportunity to transition into adult-use, we were also very excited about that because of the medicinal and holistic aspect of cannabis. It’s something we feel passionate about,” Davis said.
They’re eager to provide another local option for buying safe cannabis products through the state-regulated marketplace. Mt. Marcy Farms is targeting opening in about a year, but that will depend on the timing of the state licensing process.
“The biggest unknown is OCM,” Karker said.
Sanctuary Gardens LLC, owned by Josh McNary, has already secured a license from OCM and is now seeking approval from the Planning Commission for its dispensary proposed on Church Street, according to Egelston.
The special use permit application for the business states, “Our aim is to enhance the local area with a classy and elegant exterior, reminiscent of upscale boutique retail stores and to contribute positively to the community through our ethical business practices and community involvement.”
An estimated $500,000 would be invested into improvements to the property. The dispensary is expected to create 22 jobs. It would be managed by Uri Zucker, who has experience operating event spaces and venues in New York City.
Surveillance cameras and security systems would be installed inside and out. A secure entrance vestibule would be used to admit customers after checking identification. Staff would manage crowds during peak hours to control customer and vehicle traffic.
Representatives for Sanctuary Gardens did not return multiple requests for comment this week by phone and email.
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