SHELBURNE — The Planning Board will hold an information forum to get public comment on proposals for zoning marijuana businesses. This forum will be held at the next regularly scheduled Planning Board meeting on Wednesday, June 14, at 7 p.m. in Memorial Hall.
The proposed bylaw defines marijuana cultivation facilities, testing facilities, product manufacturers and retailers, along with a Table of Use that spells out zoning regions where such facilities can and can’t be placed in town, along with the zoning regions requiring a special permit for them.
For instance, a small marijuana retail building of 2,500 square feet or less would be allowed in the village commercial, commercial and industrial zoned sections of Shelburne, but would require a special permit in residential-zoned areas of both the Shelburne Falls village and rural Shelburne. A larger retailer (2,500 to 5,000 square feet of enclosed area) would not be allowed in either the rural-residential or village-residential zones, but would be allowed by special permit only in the village commercial and industrial regions. It would also be allowed in the commercial-zoned areas outside the village.
Marijuana “food services” or cafes would require a special permit in all residential and industrial-zoned areas, but could be opened without a special permit in village commercial and commercial areas.
“Recreational Marijuana Cultivation Facilities,” with 5,000 square feet or less of enclosed floor space, would require a special permit in all zoning areas except industrial-zoned areas (which include a section of Route 112 north of the village, and a small region near the river, behind Deerfield Avenue.)
Product manufacturers would be allowed in commercially zoned regions through the special permit process and by-right in industrial zoned areas if less than 5,000 square feet of enclosed space. A larger manufacturer would need special permits in the commercial and industrial zoned area. Marijuana testing facilities would be allowed by special permit only in commercial/industrial zoned areas.
“Cultivation facilities” are defined as establishments licensed to cultivate, prepare and package marijuana to sell to retail marijuana stores, manufacturers or cultivation facilities — but not to consumers.
Only “marijuana retailers,” according to this proposal, would be allowed to sell marijuana and marijuana products to consumers.
At the May 2 annual town meeting, residents approved a temporary moratorium on recreational-use marijuana. The moratorium is to be in effect through June 30, 2018 or until Shelburne adopts zoning bylaw amendments that regulate recreational marijuana establishments, whichever occurs earlier.