Hopewell Borough is now accepting applications for cannabis retail and delivery businesses.
This follows the Borough Council’s September decision permitting both licenses in the borough. The first round of application responses from cannabis business applicants began on Oct. 27 and are due by 11 a.m. Dec. 15, according to the borough.
Any questions by the applicants regarding the application or licensing process must submit those questions to Borough Administrator Michele Hovan no later than Dec. 1.
The Council had adopted an ordinance in early September that allows for one cannabis retail business and unlimited delivery service operations in the borough’s Service Zone and B-R Business Zone.
The ordinance permits a cannabis retailer and an unlimited number of cannabis delivery service businesses to operate in the Service Zone.
A cannabis retailer is also permitted in the B-R Business Zone, but a delivery service business is not allowed in the business zone.
When it comes to the application and licensing process, the borough administrator or the administrator’s designee will evaluate and score each application that is submitted with an evaluation criteria.
The criteria includes qualifications and experience, financial capacity, safety and security plan and workforce development and job creation plan.
The applicants will then be ranked by the borough administrator and designee. A recommendation will be made to the Borough Council.
The Council will then vote on whether to approve a resolution of local support for the applications.
Hopewell Borough will only be issuing one resolution of support for an applicant seeking to operate a cannabis retailer in the borough.
The Council is not limited in issuing resolutions of support for cannabis delivery service operations.
The borough will receive a $2,000 application fee for each of the permitted licenses for cannabis retailer and cannabis delivery service. The application fees will be nonrefundable.
The annual registration license fee for both is also $2,000 each but would be refunded if the applicant does not receive a license.
Some conditional uses for a cannabis retailer include operating hours from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily; must store all cannabis products indoors and onsite; consumption of cannabis products is not allowed on establishment premises and no cannabis should be visible from a public sidewalk, public street or right-of-way.
Cannabis delivery service conditional uses include no consumption of cannabis products on business premises, and cannabis items cannot be stored at the business or left unattended in vehicles.
For more information about the applications, visit www.hopewellboro-nj.us.
