Barre Finance Committee Backs Felton Field Funds, Splits on Marijuana Zoning

BARRE -- June 13, 2019, Barre Finance Committee recommends against three marijuana zoning bylaws ahead of Tuesday Town Meeting. The committee voted favorably on Article 26, the Board of Selectmen's marijuana licensing bylaw, but voted unfavorable on Articles 27, 30, and 32, and abstained on Articles 28 and 29, with members arguing the Planning Board's proposed setback rules would leave only one commercially viable parcel in town for any marijuana establishment. One committee member, who identified himself as having served on the town's Marijuana Bylaw Review Committee, said he and a collaborator reviewed all nine properties flagged by Planning Board member Dennis Fleming as potentially compliant and found the setbacks "were not correct" on eight of them. The committee also voted unanimously to recommend favorable action on Article 17, a $15,000 Felton Field appropriation to fund fence installation by Horizon Fences, and accepted dozens of departmental line-item budgets including a school total of $617,859 and a combined water and sewer enterprise total of roughly $625,000.