Marijuana in Deerfield is one step closer to becoming a reality after the town’s Selectboard voted unanimously Wednesday to approve a special permit for Suns Mass Inc. to cultivate medical pot at 198 Mill Village Road, land currently owned by Pioneer Gardens.
Suns Mass, an affiliate of Arizona cannabis company Harvest Inc., has proposed renovation and conversion of an existing 2.6-acre greenhouse and construction of a new 33,000-square-foot building for harvesting, drying and shipping. It plans to sign a 15-year lease with Pioneer Gardens owners Arjen Vriend and Jaap Molenaar, who sell perennial starter plants to wholesale nurseries.
The plan also includes reconstruction of a parking lot, new utility connections, stormwater management and landscaping.
Representation for Sun Mass on Wednesday included Northampton attorney Richard M Evans, who delivered a presentation for the board and the public, as well as consultant Ezra Parzybok.
Evans said the expectation is for Suns Mass to take over the existing 114,000-square-foot greenhouse on the property.