ROYALSTON – In excess of 70 people crowded into the meeting room at Royalston Town Hall Thursday night to ask questions and express opinions about two articles on the upcoming special town meeting warrant which would make changes in the town’s zoning bylaws relative to cannabis cultivation operations. The public hearing was convened by the Planning Board, which will recommend whether voters should support either or both of the articles.
One article calls for increasing the size of marijuana cultivation operations allowed in Royalston from 10,000 square feet, to 100,000 square feet. The other would limit to one the number of such facilities permitted in town. They were proposed via a citizen petition drive led by Damon Schmidt, who has plans to construct a cultivation and manufacturing operation off South Royalston Road/Route 68. Schmidt and his backers are doing business as Royalston Farms.
“This hearing is on these proposed amendments,” board Chair Kate Collins explained. “This is not about the marijuana bylaw that we already have or the legality of growing marijuana. This is not a debate and there’s no room for arguing here. It’s absolutely necessary that we respect our neighbors and speak to the point.”
While Collins admonished the crowd to keep questions and comments relevant to the proposed bylaw changes, audience members still managed to pepper Schmidt with questions specific to his proposed facility on South Royalston Road. The entrepreneur did his best to answer inquiries relative to water usage, light pollution, odor, traffic, employment, and other issues.
Schmidt, for his part, admitted that he proposed the change in the size of allowable cultivation operations so that he would have the flexibility of growing his business beyond the 10,000 square feet currently planned. He argued that, should his business grow to 100,000 square feet, it could generate between a million and $2 million in tax revenue for the town.
Collins pointed out that, even with a change in bylaws, the establishment of a cultivation operation of any size – or the expansion of an existing facility – would still require approval of a special permit from the Planning Board.
Resident Lynn Divoll said moving to allow a 100,000 square foot operation now would be premature.
“I feel like we’d be better off revisiting this after he’s started his 10,000 square foot facility,” said Divoll, “and see if what he is projecting (in tax revenue) is actually accurate.”
Schmidt said he wouldn’t seek to expand until he sees how successful the smaller operation proves to be, adding any expansion would then require a special permit to move ahead.
“Once the bylaw is amended,” said resident Robert Hardie, “it’s a lot more difficult for us to go back and say ‘no.’ This is a unique opportunity for townspeople to say ‘it’s too soon.’ We don’t get asked for another special permit. Our only point where we get a say is in either rejecting the bylaw expansion at this time or approving it. I think it’s much too soon to be approving this.”
Voters will have to wait until Monday evening, the night before town meeting, to find out what the Planning Board has decided. The panel is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. Monday to consider the input provided by citizens at the public hearing, after which it will vote its recommendations.