After brief ban, Hinsdale prepares to welcome cannabis trade

By Larry Parnass, 

 

Hinsdale could open its doors to cannabis firms by setting rules this week on where and how they operate — and by lifting a moratorium.

A special town meeting Wednesday will ask residents to revise zoning rules to permit both the retail sale of recreational marijuana and its cultivation, under limited terms, as well as other cannabis businesses allowed by state law.

The session, which will also take up unrelated financial housekeeping matters, begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the community room of Town Hall at 39 South St.

Like many Berkshire County communities, Hinsdale opted at first to hold off on setting terms for cannabis businesses after voters approved adult use of recreational weed two years ago.

But with several firms now courting the town, this week's session seeks to lift that moratorium. The warrant article related to cannabis needs to garner a two-thirds majority to pass.

Town Administrator Robert Graves said Hinsdale is ready to set terms governing a new sector of the state's economy.

"We're working with one company and maybe another interested in a cultivation facility," Graves said. "Hopefully, if everything goes smoothly we'll approve this and then lift the moratorium."

How Hinsdale would go about that is detailed over seven pages in the meeting's warrant.

Residents will be asked to revamp existing zoning bylaws to allow a range of cannabis business pursuits.

The rules would allow one retail cannabis outlet and no more than five nonretail facilities, such as cultivation or testing.

All new operations would have to conform to limits on their activities and hours. For instance, a retail outlet cannot allow its inventory to be seen from outside, cannot permit on-site consumption and must restrict its hours to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and from noon to 6 p.m. Sundays.

Cannabis businesses would be allowed in the town's R-4 Business District, Residential District and Adult Entertainment Overlay District (defined as Bullards Crossing Road between Route 8 and the CSX railroad's right of way).

Cultivation businesses would be allowed in the R-5 Agricultural District and in the Residential District but only on lots of at least 5 acres.

No marijuana enterprise could operate within 150 feet or a school or day care center. And all must secure special permits from the Select Board and undergo site plan reviews.