Barre Planning Board votes to restrict marijuana retail, delivery, and social consumption

BARRE — May 15, 2018 — Barre Planning Board votes to send three marijuana business restrictions to town meeting warrant. The board approved favorable recommendations on articles that would prohibit a marijuana retail storefront, a delivery-only marijuana business, and a marijuana social consumption establishment within town limits, with the delivery prohibition passing 3 to 2. An attorney representing a prospective cultivation applicant spent much of the public hearing challenging the draft marijuana zoning bylaw, objecting to vague standards such as "minimal impact" and "best management practices" and arguing that construction oversight provisions were "beyond ridiculous" and legally unenforceable. One board member noted that banning a local delivery business would not prevent out-of-town dispensaries from delivering cannabis into Barre under state Cannabis Control Commission rules — "all it ends up doing is prohibiting someone from Barre opening up any kind of delivery service." The board also heard input on a proposed solar bylaw amendment opening the RA-80 agricultural district to commercial ground-mounted solar, but took no vote on that article, with debate centering on a proposed cap of 12 total solar facilities townwide.