The Salem City Council has unanimously agreed to sell up to 37 acres of land in the west side industrial park for a craft cannabis growing facility. Hometown Heroes, LLC still needs a special use permit for the project to be submitted to the state. The Salem Planning Commission has set a public hearing on the request for next Tuesday, April 12th, at six pm at the Salem Community Activity Center. Their decision will be just a recommendation, with the city council having the final say o on the special use.
City Manager Rex Barbee says the Industrial Park land will be surveyed and then the land desired for the cannabis growing facility will be carved out. Once the acreage is determined, Hometown Heroes has agreed to pay $5,800 an acre. City officials say that is at or above what other industrial park land has been sold.
The sale is contingent on the state selecting the site as a grow facility and the special use permit being granted. Hometown Heroes is being given 18 months to complete the purchase. They will be responsible for the survey and closing costs.
The council heard from three people during public comment before making their decision. Two were in opposition including Dwayne Collier.
“Substance abuse of any kind certainly harms the body and the mind. We all know that marijuana is a gateway drug. I have nothing against medicinal marijuana but that is not what we are talking about here.”
John Ericson doesn’t like the direction the city council has taken.
“I’m troubled by the fact that whenever the city council looks at ways to raise revenue they always seem to choose a method of escaping. Alcohol, marijuana and gambling. We have almost 20 gambling parlors and I’m going to be very disappointed with you if you were to vote for it.”
On the other side is veteran David Belfiore who has joined Hometown Heroes without pay because he believes in what they are doing to try and improve the lives of veterans.
“From a personal experience, cannabis has allowed be to go ahead and be a high functioning veteran in a high functioning business. Dealing with millions of dollars every month.”
Belfiore said there were also significant economic benefits.
“We need to start looking to the future. We are not a retirement community. We are dying. We have the interstate and highway 50, we need to focus on that. So if we want to get out of this and leave something for our kids and their kids, this is a good start. We need to start thinking outside the box.”
Belfiore noted the average pay for a lead grower is $57,000 a year. Hometown Heroes earlier placed the cost of the development at $10-million with up to 50 jobs created.
Councilman Royce Bringwald who voted against adding a growing facility as a special use in the Industrial Zone at the last meeting, said he voted in favor of the land sale because he didn’t want to end the review of the proposal at this point. Bringwald said initially he had received negative reaction to the proposal, but he’s now getting comments both in favor or against and a large number who don’t care.
