HEATH — After fielding some initial questions from residents on Monday, the Planning Board voted to continue its public hearing on the requested special permit for four companies seeking to grow and package marijuana products at 11 Bellor Road.
The public hearing, held virtually, will continue on Thursday, Feb. 10, at 7 p.m.
The four tenants — Alchemy Cannabis Inc., True Cannabis Inc., Vega Cannabis Inc. and Vybz Inc. — each plan to farm 5 acres at the site. Though the relationship between the companies was described as “nothing more than a co-op” and “technically competitors,” they share an attorney, Mark James, and signed the same host community agreement with the town back in November.
Each plot of land will be individually fenced and monitored, and have its own driveway and entrance, representatives from the four companies explained. Tenants are free to use different farming techniques as well.
The cannabis plants will grow in bags outdoors, never planted in the ground, the representatives explained. Then, entire plants will be harvested, dried, trimmed and packaged in 1-pound to 5-pound bags on site. Traffic will “almost be unnoticeable,” the companies say, likely requiring one delivery van per week. They hope to hire local employees for both construction and business operation, calling the farms a “beautiful and very technical place to work.”
Community members expressed some concern about potential odor and whether there is sufficient parking, while also inquiring about the companies’ promised donations to local charities.
One resident asked whether outdoor cultivation of cannabis plants will produce a smell that affects surrounding properties, especially during peak season. Representatives from the four companies said growing marijuana plants do not carry the same smell that people associate with smoking. The farms plan to use a lavender-scented mist along the fence lines to mask any odor from the plants, leave a tree buffer between the farmland and other properties, and finish growing the plants as early in the year as possible, likely in September.
“The idea that you’re going to be misting with something scented is really of concern to me,” attendee Barbara Gordon commented. “It makes me think of Yankee Candle and the problems that created for the greater Deerfield community.”
The representatives said there are more neutral options available, and residents will have the chance to offer feedback about their preference. One option is to go mist-free for the first growing season before consulting the community on how to continue.
Between 10 and 12 employees will work across the four farms once the plants are potted, and a maximum of 40 employees will work at the site during the September harvesting. Employees will not stay at the farm overnight.
Attendees also raised questions about the farms’ contributions to local charities and the town. Mark James, the companies’ attorney, said each one will pay $25,000 to $50,000 in fees to the town annually.
Last November, Alchemy Cannabis Inc., True Cannabis Inc., Vega Cannabis Inc. and Vybz Inc. signed host community agreements, which included a commitment to “annually contribute to a local or regional nonprofit, social-service charities and/or organizations in the town, preferably one that supports the elderly or underprivileged in the greater Heath community,” in an amount no less than $7,500.
The agreements, signed Nov. 23, state payments will begin Nov. 1, 2021, but James clarified that date is incorrect and should be changed. Rather, he said payments are not supposed to begin until November 2022, after farm operations start.
Outside of a special permit from the Planning Board, Town Coordinator Hilma Sumner said the four companies need approval from the state Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) and a building permit before operating.
For information on joining Thursday’s virtual hearing continuation, visit bit.ly/3gxgopn.