The PZC on Monday night unanimously voted to reject a proposed amendment to the zoning regulations that would have permitted the town to allow outdoor grow areas up to 250,000 square feet, or slightly less than 6 acres. The proposal was made by Massachusetts-based Nova Farms, which wanted to create a cannabis farm on Old Robertsville Road, near the Barkhamsted line.
Current regulations, created in 2022 after the state made recreational marijuana legal to grow, sell and use, only allow indoor micro-cultivators between 2,000 and 10,000 square feet.
During a hearing on the proposal, PZC alternate Charlene LaVoie said the board already determined what it wants to allow in town through previous votes on regulating cannabis establishments and the town's plan of conservation and development. That plan, for example, addresses the protection of rural residential areas.
She also disagreed with the sentiment expressed during Monday's hearing that part of the PZC's job is to promote economic development. Rather, reading from the zoning regulations, she said the commission's role is to "promote and protect the public health, safety, and welfare of the inhabitants of the town, and to encourage the most appropriate use of land throughout the town, thereby conserving the values of the property."
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