Outdoor Marijuana Grow Moves One Step Further In Pittsfield Permitting
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — EOS Farms LLC. is one step closer toward creating a large outdoor grow operation for marijuana products.
The company, headed by Suehiko Ono, is planning to lease 12 acres of farmland near 973 Barker Road to grow the plant. The company has already received local permits to transform the former Royal Cleaners on Tyler Street into a marijuana retailer and manufacturing operation. The growing will provide the product to that operation.
EOS received a blessing from the Community Development Board Monday night for the operations. According to Engineer Brent White, the location is already mostly hidden from public view and will be using the existing tree lines to shield the operation from view.
In total, the company plans to grow up to 100,000 square feet of marijuana canopy, amounting to about two acres of use in total.
"We are really trying to space it out," White said of the growth plans.
The company is in partnership with the local farm owners Ann Archey and David Halley, who attended Monday's meeting in support, in the business.
White said the Christmas tree farm on the property will be untouched. The farm road will be expanded to 12 feet and two fields on the property will be used for the various plants.
"It is very low-impact use," White said.v"It is an existing farm field, it will remain a farm field."
White said one building will be construction but the property for the operation but the property won't be lit other than a light at the gate for security. The area of the operation will be completely fenced in per regulations by the state.
The company did have a meeting with neighbors and White said the biggest concern is with odor. He said the operation produces less odor than an indoor grow because the exhaust isn't being pumped out through one area all at once.
However, he said the operation is designed so that odor that is emanated more than likely drifts away from neighborhoods and over a nearby pond.
"That's something we are very cognizant of," Ono added. "The hope is to approach that in the most reasonable way."
The company still need a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals. If approved there, both operations - at Royal Cleaners and Barker Road - will be submitted to the state for permitting there.
Ono said he hopes to have state permits in place fairly quickly and start working on properties before the winter.
