Clarksburg Planners Continue Cannabis Dispensary Hearing

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The Planning Board has approved continued a hearing on a special permit submitted by New England Regional Dispensaries (NERD) to operate a cannabis dispensary on Cross Road. 

The board granted the special permit did not have a quorum at its meeting on Wednesday because one member was absent and another abstained.

The board will meet Wednesday, Dec. 14, at noon at the Community Center.

However, Chad Cellana, the founder of NERD, said if all goes well, he expects to be ready for operation in March. 

"We've already signed the local host community agreement and have been provisionally licensed with the state, pending the special permit and a commission inspection," he said. 

Board Chair Karin Robert said she was concerned about potential parking issues. Robert also asked if NERD got permission to operate on Sunday, which Cellana said was something he would consider and look into in the future.

"The [police] chief addressed [parking concerns] in his letter, saying if traffic becomes an issue, we can make it a right turn only out of that driveway or put up some mirrors and or get a detail," he said. 

Cellana said the state Department of Environmental Protection and the Conservation Commission have already approved site plans for an accompanying cultivation facility. He explained, however, it is unlikely that part of the operation will be ready for next year. 

"So once the funding shows up, we can get that rolling. It's a 2024 project at this point," Cellana said. 

The greenhouse would be on property owned by John Cellana, Chad's business partner and uncle, and board member Erin Scott, who recused herself from the vote to approve the permit. Scott's father, Clebe Scott, is the chair of the Conservation Commission. 

In other business, the board approved a land subdivision submitted by BEK Associates on behalf of Mary and Gus Giron. The board had planned to review the town's subdivision bylaws but waited as board member Ron Boucher could not attend the meeting. 

Update on Dec. 8: the board apparently could not approve the permit on Wednesday and has scheduled another meeting. 

Clarksburg School Pressed to Find More Savings for Fiscal 2027

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
05:12PM / Tuesday, April 07, 2026

Clarksburg Town Administrator Ronald Boucher says the town's ability to levy more taxes is severely limited and he doesn't want to go to an override vote. 

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — School officials are looking at the elimination of three teaching assistants, prekindergarten for 3-year-olds and a two part-time positions to reduce the fiscal 2027 budget. 

 

Business Manager Jordan Rennell on Thursday went through the latest draft of the budget during a joint meeting of the School Committee, Select Board and Finance Committee, explaining the figures behind a projected spending plan of $3,299,206, up $213,563 or 6.92 percent over this year. 

 

"This budget reflects what has changed since March, when I showed you a 6.8 [percent]," said Rennell to a packed classroom of residents and teachers. "Unfortunately, it went to 6.9 [percent]."

 

Rennell, who's new in the position, explained before she could even begin comparing this year's and next year's budget, there was a $151,000 difference "between what we voted on and what we needed to survive."

 

The bulk of that was employee health insurance, which has become a major factor in school and municipal budgets across the state. 

 

"I took those true numbers from FY26 and I dumped them into FY27 and if we kept everything the same, every program, every teacher, every TA, the same our bottom line budget would increase 11.2 percent," she said. "Between the collaborative work between the town and the principal and Superintendent [John] Franzoni and all of the pieces of the puzzle, we were able to make some hard, gut-wrenching cuts that got us to that 6.9 percent."

 

That includes Rennell's former position as the preK 3 teacher, the three assistants, a 0.2 speech position and a 0.2 occupational therapy assistant.