Frelinghuysen Land Use Board Holds Another Full-house Meeting
The cannabis cultivation facility proposed for Frelinghuysen would consume up to 10,000 gallons of water, according to a representative for applicant One Faith Wellness.
The Frelinghuysen Township Land Use Board heard testimony Aug. 5 at yet another full-house meeting. Despite the meeting being the fourth one slated to consider testimony, it was actually the first time discussions on the application itself were heard.
And even then, it was an hour into the meeting before the testimony began. The first hour was spent by the Land Use Board considering a question about whether a nearby Sunday school program fit the definition of an actual school for the purposes of the application. Should the board deem it a school, it could complicate the application. Despite the board failing to come to a consensus on what could prove to be a pivotal question, Michael Selvaggi, attorney for One Faith Wellness, agreed to move ahead with testimony while the school question is considered.
Cannabis Farm Plans
Jared Adams, the general manager of the proposed cannabis facility, told the board that the two enclosed greenhouses would require up to 10,000 gallons of water per day during peak times, which would be drawn from a new well on the site on Route 94, at the north end of the township.
The plans also include a 100,000-gallon retention pond to serve the facility, which would consist of the two greenhouses, each 62,000 square feet, and one 10,000-square-foot administrative building.
The facility would be active year-round with approximately 25 employees on the site.
Adams emphasized that there will be no retail sales from the site, and that vehicles going in and out of the facility would be unmarked. There would be box trucks involved in shipping and an occasional tractor-trailer, he said.
Security would include 24/7 surveillance of the site, monitored and installed by an independent contractor who specializes in the kind of facility they are planning, Adams said. He said the site is required to conform to standards set by the state Cannabis Regulatory Commission, which are very stringent, and violations could imperil the company’s cultivation license.
Strict Monitoring in Place
In fact, he said, the cannabis commission closely monitors every step in the process.
“We will have to account for every plant, seed and flower,” Adams said.
The Cannabis Regulatory Commission is empowered to conduct unannounced audits of license holders, he said.
It was not made clear, however, if security would be on-site and, if so, whether it would be a 24-hour guard. Adams said that while there is a sizable monetary value placed on the products, at any given time very little of it would be on-hand as a viable product fit for use. Most of it would be in the form of growing plants and seeds, which would require costly processing and storage until it was ready.
Not a Cash Crop
Adams also said that business would involve very little cash as most transactions would take place by electronic transfers.
The facility becoming a target for crime was a concern for resident Kirk Perez, who, at this and past meetings, has cited a robbery at a cannabis warehouse in Mount Vernon, New York, in which one perpetrator and one employee were killed in a shoot-out. Federal authorities said the robbers, which numbered as many at 10, believed there was cocaine and $8 million in cash at the site.
The federal authorities also pointed out, however, that the targeted warehouse was being operated illegally and obviously not operating subject to any legal security guidelines.
Hearing Will Resume
The Land Use Board is expected to resume the hearing on Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. at the recreation center on Lincoln Laurel Road. As always, it’s advisable to check the township website prior to the meeting as hearings can be postponed.
Joe brings decades of journalism experience to the Ridge View Echo, covering everything from local school boards to the U.S. Supreme Court. A former National Law Journal editor and Columbia Law School press officer, he now enjoys telling community stories in Blairstown, where he lives with his wife, Rose, and their two dachshunds.
- Joe Phalon, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/joe-phalon-contributing-writer/
- Joe Phalon, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/joe-phalon-contributing-writer/
- Joe Phalon, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/joe-phalon-contributing-writer/
- Joe Phalon, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/joe-phalon-contributing-writer/
