Three pot shops are pursuing permits for locations on Commonwealth Avenue and Beacon Street.

On Oct. 30, the Select Board unanimously approved community host agreements with the shops. Acquiring host agreements is among the first steps in the licensing process.

Before going to the state for a recreational marijuana license, the company must first hold a community meeting to allow for public comment and questions; it also must secure a location and obtain a community host agreement from whatever community it hopes to operate in. Once those steps are completed, the dispensary can then apply for a license from the state. If the state grants a preliminary license, the dispensary must go back to the town to obtain special permits from the Zoning Board of Appeals and Select Board.

Sanctuary Medicinals Inc. is looking to take over the former Pier 1 Imports location at 1351 Beacon St., while Comm Ave Canna Inc. and Mission MA Inc. are pursuing locations within 200 feet of each other at 1030 Commonwealth Ave. and 1024 Commonwealth Ave. This is allowed under Brookline’s newly passed bylaw, because Comm Ave Canna is pursuing a location on the second floor. The bylaw Town Meeting passed in May stipulates two retailers cannot be within 200 feet of each other if they are both at storefront level.

An article heading to special Town Meeting this month addresses the loophole. If passed it would require a 200-foot distance between pot shops regardless of their level or floor. Both Comm Ave Canna and Mission Ma have filed with the town, freezing the current zoning, ultimately protecting them from the change should Town Meeting pass the article.

“This is fixing a loophole going forward, but it isn’t going to affect either of them,” said Select Board Chair Neil Wishinsky.

If either of the applicants does not make it through the state process and the zoning article passes Town Meeting, the freeze would lift and the address would become subject to the zoning change.

Like the town’s community host agreement with New England Treatment Access, the three latest agreements have the companies paying Brookline up to 3 percent of gross revenue.

The agreements also stipulated that the Select Board must approve the hours of operation, banned the production, consumption or manufacturing of marijuana and marijuana products on site, required an on-site officer to conduct traffic and a parking attendant. In addition the companies agreed to unannounced and unscheduled periodic inspections by the Town’s building, health, police and fire departments.

According to Wishinsky, when the town talks with applicants about Community Host Agreements the major elements it looks at are security, payment to the town and establishing the relationship between the retailer and town departments like Brookline Police and the health department.

NETA, Sanctuary Medicinals, Comm Ave Canna and Mission MA are the only four retailers to reach community agreements with Brookline.

While there has been some opposition to Sanctuary Medicinals, Comm Ave Canna and Mission MA proposed locations, it has been fairly quiet.

Ascend Mass Inc., however, has faced strong opposition from the St. Mary’s Street neighborhood where the retailer hopes to set up on Beacon Street in the former Waxy’s bar space. Chief concerns among residents are the store’s proximity to children, the increase in traffic from nearby colleges and Fenway, and the impact to local businesses.

Ascend Mass Inc. has not yet met with the Town to discuss a Community Host Agreement though it has held community meetings with the neighborhood.