Pot Farm Application Withdrawn in Williamstown

The Berkshire Eagle  reports a company that was seeking permits to grow marijuana at a farm on Blair Road has withdrawn its application, according to Andrew Groff, community development director for the town.

A Colorado business owner had proposed to build the marijuana cultivation operation on farmland at 295 Blair Road. According to forms filed with the town, Massflora LLC had hoped to set up the operation on the 20-acre parcel using existing barns and add a 7,000-square-foot greenhouse with an 8-foot screening fence installed around the 5-acre growing field. The company already owns two marijuana cultivation facilities in Colorado.

In order to proceed to the next step required by state regulators, Massflora needed to obtain a special use permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals, and had already drawn some enthusiastic opposition from neighbors of the farm.

Numerous residents of the area expressed grave concerns about the odor that might emanate from the farm during the summer growing months.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection had previously evaluated the site for wetland issues and didn't find anything that would violate state policy, and the Williamstown Conservation Commission had already voted to allow the use as there were no issues with encroaching on wetlands. The land is zoned RR2, in which agricultural uses are permitted.