Erving Planning Board Loses Quorum Before Marijuana, Mill District Votes

ERVING — February 4, 2021 — Erving Planning Board loses quorum mid-meeting, leaving marijuana zoning and a mill district bylaw unresolved. The board, meeting online February 4 under the governor's COVID-19 order, approved amended minutes from its January 21 session but could not take any other formal votes after member Thomas Glennon lost consciousness on camera, stripping the five-member board of a quorum. Chair Jacquelyn Boyden and member Debra Smith led an extended discussion on how to zone three categories of cannabis businesses — medical marijuana treatment centers, micro-businesses, and delivery-only retailers — with informal consensus building around special permits in the Central Village and French King commercial districts. Smith cited strict state delivery regulations, saying she "was really shocked at just how strict it is." The board also could not vote on a planned unit development bylaw for mill-site redevelopment, stalled over whether a 400-foot minimum frontage requirement is workable. A law-enforcement officer identified as Sergeant Holst is scheduled to review state marijuana law at the February 11 meeting, with a public hearing set for March 3.