As a resident of Factory Hollow Road in Greenfield, I was one of the interested parties attending an informal meeting there sponsored by “Greenfield Grows LLC” on Aug. 22.

The meeting was to outline a preliminary proposal for a major cannabis growing facility in our neighborhood.

The entrepreneur making the proposal had purchased the 27-acre parcel of land about 18 months earlier for only $128,440. This low valuation was statutorily determined as the land’s value under permanent protection for traditional agriculture under an Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR). This APR was donated — not sold — by the land’s previous owners, Jake and Kim Giknis, to the commonwealth in 1998.

Placing an industrial scale cannabis grow generating over $1 million in annual revenue would clearly be antithetical to the spirit and objectives of the APR program. Moreover, the entrepreneur’s proposal would have the facility qualify as an “outdoor” grow to the commonwealth, but an “indoor” grow to the city and its zoning regulations.

This attempt at having it both ways is clearly ridiculous, but in fact would have been achievable under the city’s inadequate cannabis zoning regulations at that time.

Also standing outside in the rain with me on Aug. .22 were concerned citizens Al Collins, Al Norman and City Councilor Ginny DeSorgher. These three, and other interested parties, voiced their questions to the entrepreneur’s consultant, Ezra Parzybok. His answers were to say the least unsatisfactory.

I am writing to commend and thank these three citizens for their hard work and their extraordinary research done to bring to the Planning Board, the city Department of Planning, and the City Council tightened cannabis growing zoning regulations.

A special tip of the hat to Councilor DeSorgher whose research and drafting of the revised articles led to the Council’s adoption by unanimous vote.

Frances K. “Princy” Stotz

Greenfield

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