Hatfield Select Board Approves Cannabis Host Agreement at 3 Percent Fee

HATFIELD — August 22, 2019 — Hatfield Select Board approves cannabis host agreement at full 3 percent community impact fee. The board voted 2-0 with one abstention Thursday to accept the agreement with Urban Grow, after members pushed back on a draft provision that would have set the fee at 1.5 percent in the first year — Urban Grow's representatives agreed on the spot to the higher rate. Select Board Chair Luke Longstreeth emphasized repeatedly that the agreement does not authorize the project, which still requires Planning Board site plan approval and special permits. A member of the public urged the board to delay, citing a conflict-of-interest concern over the board's role in appointing Zoning Board of Appeals members. In other action, the board approved a Conservation Works LLC trail maintenance contract for White Rock Trail not to exceed $4,000 — covered entirely by grant funds — and accepted a conservation restriction baseline report for the Terry Blunt watershed area off Rocks Road. Town Clerk Lydia briefed the board on a $6,725 CPA grant application to conserve fragile vital records dating to the 1890s, and the board agreed to provide a letter of support.