Rob Laverdiere of Lewiston speaks to the Norway Planning Board on Thursday evening about his proposal to turn the former production facility of the Advertiser Democrat newspaper at 1 Pikes Hill Road into a marijuana grow facility.
NORWAY — The Planning Board voted Thursday evening to schedule a public hearing on a proposed medical marijuana grow facility.
The hearing on the proposal of a Lewiston man seeking to lease the former brick production facility of the Advertiser Democrat newspaper is set for 7 p.m. Sept. 14 at the Town Office.
Rob Laverdiere told the Planning Board on Thursday that he would be the “primary caregiver of the facility” and would have the “capability of having up to five patients with a maximum of six plants per patient, for a maximum of 30 plants total.”
He said there would be “no foot traffic” on the premises.
“There’s not going to be cars coming and going,” Laverdiere said. “It’s pretty much going to be a one-man band there.”
All parts of the marijuana plants would be used and recycled outside the premises, Laverdiere said, with the soil being recycled.
“There won’t be any hazardous waste or anything along those lines,” he said. “Also, each room will have an air handler, which will recycle the air in the individual rooms, so there won’t be any exhaust going to the outside.”
He said that “come spring, we want to add some lilies or bushes to clean up the street front.”
Laverdiere said that it will cost about $5,000 for the overall facility upgrades, including the creation of a second door for the building and cleaning the building.
“It’ll cost about $20,000 to create each room, which is a significant investment,” he added.
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