Adams Approves Zoning Variance for Weed Cultivation and Retail Facility
Last night the Adams Zoning Board of Appeals voted to grant a variance to New Train LLC, a company petitioning Adams to grow and sell cannabis in an Industrial Park zone. The property in question is on Renfrew Street on the former site of Burke Construction, according to a post in The Berkshire Eagle.
The variance application passed despite opposition to the cannabis facility by an attorney representing an abutter to the property. The variance was needed to allow the property in the Industrial Park zone to be used for cannabis cultivation. The next process is for the approved variance to go through an appeal process, just one of a number of other hurdles before the grow and sell facility is stamped "approved."
The owner of the property located across from the 7-Eleven at the Rt 8 traffic circle at 6 Renfrew Street in Adams is owned by John Burke, according to the Berkshire Eagle. The report states that Burke has been trying to sell the property for the last 5 years.
New Train is owned by Ian Purkayastha and Jane Lowe of Cheshire. According to the Eagle article, the two have a background in botany and business and plans to preserve the historic integrity of the building while developing a quality cannabis cultivation and retail dispensary.
If approved New Train expects to bring in 15-million dollars a year in revenue, delivering major tax revenues to the state and town in addition to creating 20 to 25 new jobs.
There are still hurdles ahead for New Train including a license from the state Cannabis Control Commission and other local approvals by the Town of Adams according to the Eagle.