WILTON – The Planning Board approved permits for two marijuana-related businesses Thursday evening: a potential expansion in the Western Maine Development Group LLC business park and a new store on the Munson Road.
Gil Reed submitted an application to expand the operations of Gray Trucking, a medical marijuana company that grows out of a building located in the business/industrial park at 128 Weld Road. The permit would allow for Gray Trucking to expand its business by allowing for processing and warehousing both medical marijuana and industrial hemp, utilizing two other sections of the Western Maine Development Group park.
Reed told the board that the expansion isn’t guaranteed, as the business park had different options regarding tenants moving forward. He said that one company may be interested in a portion of the old Barclay’s building and was currently investigating that option; that arrangement, if it went forward, could impact the marijuana expansion. Reed was seeking the permit to be prepared should the Gray Trucking expansion go forward.
Much of the board’s consideration was spent on the issue of potential odors as a result of the expansion. The building Gray Trucking is currently operating out of a separate building in the park that has a filtration system constructed in Temple, Reed said. Code Enforcement Officer Charlie Lavin said that previous complaints were limited to Barclays employees; Reed said those complaints had been proven unfounded. Nearby residents, who attended to voice concerns about any potential marijuana odors, said that they had never smelled anything coming from the building the Gray Trucking was working out of.
Consulting the town’s ordinance, the board referenced a performance standard that could be triggered by detectable odors and/or complaints at the property line. If a complaint was forwarded to Lavin, the board could review the situation and require that additional filtration systems be installed or order processing to cease.
The board opted to include a reference to that standard in the permit. Reed said that he would work to ensure there weren’t any issues.
The board unanimously moved to approve the permit, allowing for an expansion of the business within the park.
The second item on the agenda was a permit application for a new business, with a listed address of 11 Munson Road, across Route 2 from the Big Apple. Cannatopia, according to co-owner Isis Whalen, would offer marijuana caregiver services as well as grow flowers, vegetables and herbs. They will also sell gemstones and glass art products.
Whalen and her co-owner, Daniel Banville, have lived in Wilton for 13 years, Whalen told the board. They intended to fix up the buildings located on the site, she said, expanding to add the on-site grow operation over the next few months. A security guard would be at the business, Whalen said, and the business would meet all state requirements.
The board granted the permit, after adding the same reference to the odor-related performance standard that appeared on the Gray Trucking permit.
It doesn’t seem so long ago that Wilton was a dry town, couldn’t even buy a beer. Things have certainly changed! For the better?
Looks like Wilton’s going to go like most of Colorado and Massachusetts, piles of money they can’t do hardly anything with.
Mmm, you guys are gonna smell like Farmington now!
Yes….it’s the smell of money!!
Do we have the same odor regulations for dairy farms? Coffee shops? Restaurant dumpsters? Why for cannabis?
Can I open a coffee/donut shop next door? Let’s call it Glazed and Confused.
Regarding odors: From the article:
Consulting the town’s ordinance, the board referenced a performance standard that could be triggered by detectable odors and/or complaints at the property line. If a complaint was forwarded to Lavin, the board could review the situation and require that additional filtration systems be installed or order processing to cease.
This performance standard has been in place for a long time…to check applicability to dairy farms, likely need to look at what Zone the standard is appropriate for….
I’ve never smelled a dairy or chicken farm in downtown Farmington. I sure smell the Weeeeeed, though! There will be those (probably have Bud of the Month in High Times) who will insist it smells just fabulous…ummm, not to all.
Your town, your vote, your call.