| Joanne Cole |
A proposed cannabis grow facility at 934 Lewiston Road will be returning to the Planning Board after submitting additional information as a result of discussions at the board’s May 2 meeting.
The meeting also included pre-application conversation with Carl Wilcox about possible house lots on a portion of the property he and Jan Wilcox own at 1047 Intervale Road.
Lewiston Road cannabis grow facility. Scott Rogers of Longmont, Colorado, wants to convert a 1,800 sq. ft residence at 934 Lewiston Road into a cannabis grow facility. The parcel is in the Residential B-1 district (Map 18 Lot 20).
Rogers and his general contractor Joe Pugh first came to the Planning Board in October 2022. They described a one-person operation, with grow spaces on two levels, maintaining the building’s 38’ x 48’ footprint. The board at that time outlined several items Rogers needed to submit prior to formal review, including more-detailed drawings and septic, buffering, and odor control plans.
Now Pugh was back, having provided additional information. But several items remained unsubmitted or incomplete, the board found. As a result, they could not deem the application complete or schedule a site walk or public hearing. Those follow only after an application is complete.
Open items included documented water quantity and quality test results and more-detailed site plans. Above all, however, the board wanted specifics on odor control. Member Don Libby commented that “the number one issue” with any proposed cannabis grow facility is odor. Pugh had outlined his intention to use multiple carbon filter scrubbers, as well as UV lights if necessary. He sought to assure the board, saying, “I can guarantee there won’t be any odor.”
But board members requested engineered plans to ensure that odor control equipment is appropriately sized and up to the task, and wanted details on how doors and other openings will be sealed, among other specifics.
The conversation wrapped up with a checklist of follow-up items for when the project returns to the Planning Board.
Pre-application meeting – 1047 Intervale Road. Carl Wilcox came in to discuss possible additional lots on a portion of his property at 1047 Intervale Road. The property is located in the Rural Residential District at Map 8 Lot 30/32.
As Wilcox explained, the railroad long ago and then eventually CMP exercised rights of eminent domain, slicing through the original property “at an odd angle” to lay tracks and build a power line. Now Wilcox wanted to explore options for house lots—perhaps a cluster-type subdivision—on a 9.8-acre triangle, while leaving nearby fields as farmland.
Wilcox had shared preliminary plans – nothing set in stone – to explore with the board. A right-of-way or private road running parallel to CMP’s transmission lines would provide access to the new lots, Wilcox explained. One scenario envisioned two new two-acre house lots, in addition to the homestead, and perhaps more later. A possible open-space cluster subdivision, on the other hand, showed five new lots. But with a subdivision, a cistern for fire suppression might be required under the zoning ordinance, Wilcox said. He estimated the cost at $75,000 or more, a “deal-killer” in his view. Would a cistern be required?
Board members Steve Libby and Don Libby discussed the question at length, recalling other projects and wondering about distances to a dry hydrant or other water source. The resulting consensus suggested that while adequate fire protection may be required and a cistern is a possible solution, it isn’t specifically mandated. For past projects without cisterns, close proximity to dependable water sources was probably decisive, they thought, but the fire chief makes the call, not the Planning Board.
Other issues discussed included how to interpret and apply frontage requirements given the layout, whether net residential acreage requirements would come into play, and whether a snowmobile trail that has traditionally crossed the parcel would be preserved. The answers to those and other questions will depend on what direction the Wilcoxes’ planning takes.
Editor’s note: The correct zone for the 934 Lewiston Road property is Residential B-1, not Residential C as originally reported.
To view the video of the May 2 Planning Board meeting, click here. For agendas and meeting materials, including applications and supporting documents, visit the Planning Board page at this link.
