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An unnamed group of investors has expressed interest in building a medical marijuana facility in a vacant industrial building next to the East Hartford Golf Course.
Development Director Eileen C. Buckheit said the group is interested in approximately 100,000 square feet of space in a vacant building in an industrial park at 88 Long Hill St.
The investor group met with officials from East Hartford and two other towns last month, and a public meeting on the request is scheduled in East Hartford for Aug. 28 at 5:30 p.m. in town hall.
An application has not yet been submitted to the town, meaning the initiative is in the preliminary stages. Members of the planning and zoning commission briefly discussed the issue at a meeting Wednesday.
Buckheit said there are still many unknowns when it comes to medical marijuana production, and the process will not be an easy one for interested parties.
The group that has approached East Hartford officials has experience running growing facilities elsewhere and is looking to snag one of the three to 10 licenses the state plans to award for marijuana growing operations, she said, adding that there is a $25,000 non-refundable fee just to apply for a license.
The state Department of Consumer Protection has been drafting regulations this summer for the state's medical marijuana industry, and expects to begin licensing producers and dispensers later this year. The businesses could begin operating in the first half of 2014, officials said recently.
"This is new to the state," Buckheit said. It's also new to the town, which does not make provision for such a facility in its zoning regulations.
Planning and zoning commission Chairman Anthony Kayser asked Town Planner Michael Dayton whether the operation would be considered industrial or agricultural.
Dayton said he was unsure but "that's why we're having the workshop."
One potential concern would be odor, but Dayton said such problems could be managed with carbon filters and other techniques.
In previous discussions about medical marijuana, "I think the bulk of my concerns were not so much with the growing facilities but with the dispensaries," Dayton said.
The facility could provide an economic boost to the town, adding taxable manufacturing property and jobs, Buckheit said.
Many specifics such as how much marijuana would be produced and how many jobs would be created are still unclear. The facility would involve indoor hydroponic growing and some production, and would be guarded at all times in accordance with state law, she said.
Companies moving into vacant buildings is "always a plus for the town," Buckheit said, but she cautioned that the facility is not a certainty. "It may not even end up here in East Hartford."
News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: courant.com
Author: Suzanne Carlson
Contact: Contact Us - Courant.com
Website: East Hartford Considers Medical Marijuana-Growing Facility - Courant.com
Development Director Eileen C. Buckheit said the group is interested in approximately 100,000 square feet of space in a vacant building in an industrial park at 88 Long Hill St.
The investor group met with officials from East Hartford and two other towns last month, and a public meeting on the request is scheduled in East Hartford for Aug. 28 at 5:30 p.m. in town hall.
An application has not yet been submitted to the town, meaning the initiative is in the preliminary stages. Members of the planning and zoning commission briefly discussed the issue at a meeting Wednesday.
Buckheit said there are still many unknowns when it comes to medical marijuana production, and the process will not be an easy one for interested parties.
The group that has approached East Hartford officials has experience running growing facilities elsewhere and is looking to snag one of the three to 10 licenses the state plans to award for marijuana growing operations, she said, adding that there is a $25,000 non-refundable fee just to apply for a license.
The state Department of Consumer Protection has been drafting regulations this summer for the state's medical marijuana industry, and expects to begin licensing producers and dispensers later this year. The businesses could begin operating in the first half of 2014, officials said recently.
"This is new to the state," Buckheit said. It's also new to the town, which does not make provision for such a facility in its zoning regulations.
Planning and zoning commission Chairman Anthony Kayser asked Town Planner Michael Dayton whether the operation would be considered industrial or agricultural.
Dayton said he was unsure but "that's why we're having the workshop."
One potential concern would be odor, but Dayton said such problems could be managed with carbon filters and other techniques.
In previous discussions about medical marijuana, "I think the bulk of my concerns were not so much with the growing facilities but with the dispensaries," Dayton said.
The facility could provide an economic boost to the town, adding taxable manufacturing property and jobs, Buckheit said.
Many specifics such as how much marijuana would be produced and how many jobs would be created are still unclear. The facility would involve indoor hydroponic growing and some production, and would be guarded at all times in accordance with state law, she said.
Companies moving into vacant buildings is "always a plus for the town," Buckheit said, but she cautioned that the facility is not a certainty. "It may not even end up here in East Hartford."
News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: courant.com
Author: Suzanne Carlson
Contact: Contact Us - Courant.com
Website: East Hartford Considers Medical Marijuana-Growing Facility - Courant.com
