MARLBOROUGH - Fitchburg-based Garden Remedies is set to become the city’s first medical and adult use marijuana dispensary.

The City Council Monday signed off on a special permit for Garden Remedies to open a 3,100-square-foot facility in a vacant storefront in the Marlboro Square Plaza at 416 Boston Post Road. The plaza is within one of Marlborough’s two recreational and medical marijuana regulated zones, which extend from the Sudbury line to Phelps Street and the Northborough border to Interstate 495.

“We’re doing this because the people of Marlborough voted (in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana),” said City Councilor Joseph Delano.

The recreational marijuana ballot question passed in Marlborough 9,418 to 8,536. Of the city’s 14 precincts, 12 voted in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana.

Garden Remedies operates a cultivation and processing facility in Fitchburg and opened a dispensary in Newton in November 2016. A second dispensary is under construction in Melrose and expected to open before the end of the year.

The company has a staff of 70 employees, including an internal chief of security who is a former Massachusetts State Police officer. Garden Remedies’ dispensaries include several cameras and company officials say the proposed Marlborough location will have the same level of security. Customers can only get in the front door if they show their patient card or identification. They are then buzzed into a foyer where security verifies the person is a patient or over 21 years old. Only then are they allowed in the dispensary.

Police Chief David Giorgi met with company officials to discuss Garden Remedies’ security plan and said last month he is comfortable with their security measures.

Officers were more frequently patrol the area around the dispensary at the outset of its opening at the request of city councilors.

Garden Remedies officials told city councilors that the Rte. 20 dispensary will not significantly increase traffic in the area. About 35 cars enter and leave the Newton dispensary during peak weekday evening hours, while 31 vehicles enter and leave during Saturday midday hours.

About 42 vehicles enter and leave dispensaries in the United States that sell medical and recreational marijuana during peak weekday evening hours. That number rises to 72 cars during Saturday midday peak hours.

The company agreed to have a detail officer direct traffic if police officials determine there are significant traffic issues.

The city is expected to receive about $501,000 in annual tax revenue from Garden Remedies.

Garden Remedies plans to open its Marlborough dispensary sometime in early 2019.

Jeff Malachowski can be reached at 508-490-7466 or jmalachowski@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @JmalachowskiMW.