Cheshire Pot Farm Plan Snuffed Out For Now

The developer of a controversial outdoor marijuana farm has tabled the project amid vehement opposition from neighbors and the Cheshire Planning Board's concern over impacting the neighborhood.

The Berkshire Eagle  reports Stafford Green recently withdrew its special permit application for an open-air cultivation facility. The last-minute pullback came before the board was to vote on the permit, according to the developer and town officials at the Nov. 25 meeting.

Project consultant Ezra Parzybok said the current proposal would have likely violated municipal zoning by encroaching on a nearby residence.

Parzybok added his client feared, if approved, opponents would have challenged the project in the courts. The Planning Board has been unavailable for comment on the withdrawal.

The residents' concerns of odor and well-water use dominated the planners' ongoing review of the project since the process began in late August.