Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Cannabis topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Skowhegan planning board approves minor site plan for medical grow; members raise odor and ordinance concerns
Summary
The Skowhegan Planning Board voted to approve a minor site plan for a medical cannabis grow operation, with staff noting buildings must meet town building codes before expanding; board members discussed updating a 2017 marijuana ordinance to address cultivation, caregiver sales and nuisance complaints.
The Skowhegan Planning Board voted to approve a minor site plan for a medical cannabis grow operation after hearing the applicant describe state licensing rules and local code requirements.
The applicant's consultant told the board the operation must sell only to licensed caregivers or dispensaries, not to individuals or out of state, and that under the license the canopy for flowering plants is limited to 500 square feet. "We can only grow flower 500 square feet," the consultant said, describing OCP rules, unannounced inspections and tax-compliance work the consultant provides for clients.
A committee member moved to approve the minor site plan "as presented," a second was given and the board voted in favor. After the vote, Aaron, the town inspections official, told members the approval authorizes operation "up to but under 10,000 square feet" in aggregate under the planning action but that each building must meet town building-code requirements and pass inspections before additional growing spaces may be used. He emphasized the approval was not a carte blanche to start expanding operations immediately and said staff would work with the applicant on required inspections and code compliance.
Board members then discussed broader questions about the town's marijuana rules. "Our ordinance mentions retail marijuana, and this hasn't been updated since 2017," one committee member said, urging the board to consider whether wholesale cultivation operations should come before the planning board rather than be handled solely by staff review. Members noted the state now issues licenses and that town staff receive notifications when an application is filed, which gives the town an opportunity to review addresses and flag concerns.
Members raised resident complaints about odor and secondhand exposure from nearby operations and compared that to other local nuisance sources such as outdoor wood boilers and industrial emissions. Planning staff noted building-code and ventilation standards in the international building code and nuisance provisions can be applied; the board also discussed whether carbon-filter ventilation, setbacks or other conditions should be considered in ordinance updates or future site reviews.
No further votes were recorded on ordinance changes; the board approved the site plan and adjourned after closing business. The applicant also informed the board that three existing licenses will be renewed or modified and that they plan to apply for three additional licenses to replace discontinued or relocated operations, which the board said falls under separate licensing processes and may require coordination with code enforcement and state notifications.
