Officials are recommending a cap on the number of adult-use marijuana stores that would be permitted in the largest city in western Massachusetts.
There could be no more than 15 pot shops in Springfield and the stores would be restricted to about 50 mostly-commercial streets, under tentative regulations approved by the City Council.
Council President Orlando Ramos said after hours of debate a proposed buffer zone between pot shops and residences was rejected on a close vote.
"It would have been limiting as to where ( the stores) would have been located," said Ramos. "We could have found ouselves in a situation where we would have had maybe only 2 or 3 across the city."
The recommendations now go to the city’s Planning Board.
Retail marijuana stores had been expected to begin opening in Massachusetts on July 1st, but none have so far.
