Michael Sboro has applied to open a cannabis dispensary at 940 Arsenal St in Watertown, filing for a special-use permit with the city Planning Department. The proposed site is the former craft beer shop Arsenal Wine and Liquor. If approved, the location would represent the city’s third proposed retail cannabis outlet.
Sboro is a local restaurateur who sought a different retail marijuana location on Coffeen Street last December but was denied. He submitted the current application to the Watertown City Planning Department to convert the defunct business space at 940 Arsenal St into a licensed cannabis retailer. The address is a single-story commercial property that previously operated as a craft beer and liquor shop.
The filing asks the Planning Department to grant a special-use permit, a formal authorization required for certain uses that do not automatically fit base zoning rules. The department will review Sboro’s application, verify compliance with zoning and municipal code, and determine whether the site meets distance and land-use standards that apply to cannabis retail. The planning staff typically posts the application, notifies adjacent property owners, and schedules a public hearing through the city’s standard permitting calendar.
The proposal follows the December denial of Sboro’s Coffeen Street application. That earlier request did not receive city approval, and Sboro then targeted the Arsenal Street property that became available after Arsenal Wine and Liquor ceased operations. The new submission contains at minimum the property address, owner name and the requested permit type; the Planning Department will publish the full application packet once it completes its intake review.
Local officials and residents who want to review or comment on the request will be able to do so once the Planning Department posts hearing dates and supporting documents. Under typical municipal procedure, a planning commission or zoning board evaluates special-use permits against explicit criteria such as compatibility with surrounding land uses, traffic and parking impacts, and compliance with state cannabis regulations. The city will issue a final decision after the commission’s public hearing and a staff recommendation.
City officials have not released a timetable for the review or a date for any public meeting related to the Arsenal Street application. The application does, however, mark continued interest from private operators in expanding retail cannabis access within city limits. Public records show at least two other retail cannabis projects previously proposed in Watertown, and Sboro’s filing would add a third proposal pending review.
Sboro’s plan centers on repurposing an existing retail footprint rather than building new construction. Converting a former liquor and craft beer store to a cannabis retail space can reduce development time because the location already contains retail infrastructure, customer parking and utilities. The Planning Department will still evaluate interior layout, security plans, signage, hours of operation and other operational details included in state licensing requirements.
State-level cannabis licensing remains separate from local land-use approval. If Watertown grants the special-use permit, Sboro would still need to obtain the appropriate state retail license and meet state regulatory conditions for product sourcing, inventory control and security. Local approval typically must precede or accompany state licensing in most jurisdictions.
Residents and business owners near 940 Arsenal St who want updates should monitor the Watertown City Planning Department’s public notices and agenda postings. The department posts permit applications and hearing schedules on the city’s official website and via mailed notices when required by local code.
This application highlights the ongoing process municipal governments use to regulate where cannabis retailers locate. The Planning Department’s next steps are to complete its intake review, set a public hearing date, and issue a staff report that assesses the Arsenal Street site against Watertown’s zoning standards. The ultimate decision will hinge on whether the proposal meets those standards and whether public comment raises material issues the commission must consider.
