West Stockbridge — Jon Piasecki, co-owner of West Stockbridge cannabis cultivation business Wiseacre Farm, announced that two meetings are being scheduled to discuss his company’s odor-mitigation plan, with the first session tentatively set for February 21 via Zoom and featuring two scientist representatives of his professional consulting firm, Byers Scientific. The meeting was requested by the West Stockbridge Select Board. An in-person meeting is also being scheduled at the Wiseacre facility for the site’s neighbors during the week of March 25 and, as with the February session, will be coordinated with the firm’s personnel. Both meetings will revolve around the company’s annual report submitted January 29 in compliance with a Host Community Agreement executed between Wiseacre’s proprietors and town officials, with that document governing the operations of the farm including odor-mitigation practices. The announcement was made at the February 12 West Stockbridge Select Board meeting.
Following complaints of skunk-like smells emanating from the year-old facility, as well as an October 12 West Stockbridge Select Board meeting focusing on odor-mitigation options, last month’s report included the implementation of a new plan promulgated by Byers. At the January meeting, members of a newly formed group comprised of nearby West Stockbridge and Richmond residents, Neighbors Advocating for Fresh Air (NAFA), questioned the safety of the proposed custom liquid-based atomization, or fine misting, odor-control system that aims to neutralize the skunk-like smells. According to the report, the system uses a natural substance to make droplets as an industrial agricultural five-blade fan blows those droplets to the odorous area. Members also advocated that the town conduct a professional independent engineering review of the proposal.
“This is exactly what we had hoped would happen, that the Wiseacre Farm folks could get their scientists to appear before the town and then there’s a second on-site meeting at Wiseacre Farm where he will invite the community and have his experts there as well,” Richmond resident and NAFA co-founder Tom Ruffing said to The Berkshire Edge following the meeting. “So we’re excited that these two meetings will take place.”
He said his group plans to attend both sessions.
Praising the January report as “a comprehensive document,” Select Board Chair Kathleen Keresey informed attendees that although she and Town Administrator Marie Ryan found that there aren’t many third-party engineering firms to conduct the type of study required of Wiseacre’s odor-mitigation plan, two consultants “seem really promising.” She also said she reached out to State Rep. William “Smitty” Pignatelli (D – 3rd Berkshire District) for his insight, but he was told by personnel at the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture that the agency would only get involved if pesticides were at issue, which isn’t the case. According to Keresey, however, Pignatelli suggested the Cannabis Control Commission may be a resource for a comprehensive review of the mitigation plan, and Pignatelli said he would like to be involved going forward and that they should include State Sen. Paul Mark (D – Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin, and Hampshire District) in the effort.
When asked by Keresey if they supported hiring a consultant to review Wiseacre’s odor-mitigation plan, both remaining Select Board members Andrew Knouss and Andrew Potter agreed.
“The first matter of discussion is whether or not this board thinks that that would be a good next step to actually hire a consultant to look at the mitigation plan as presented by Wiseacre and, as we at this table are not experts in odor mitigation, having professional people who do this work advise us and oversee the process,” Keresey said.
She also consulted Nicole Costanzo, an attorney with KP Law P.C., who drafted Wiseacre’s Host Community Agreement with West Stockbridge, and Costanzo agreed to be the point person overseeing the communications process with Byers “as an expert in the field who is retained by the town.”
“I’m thinking it’s a safe way to move ahead, to put this in the hands of people who deal with it every day, scientifically, legally,” Keresey said. “It makes me feel more confident.”
Wiseacre is responsible for the expenses of hiring an independent, third-party consultant pursuant to the agreement, with Piasecki’s attorney, Aaron Dubois, requesting that company representatives be involved in any presentations made by that consultant.
Piasecki maintained that the atomized liquid used in the plan is a “food-grade, completely safe, zero liability danger product.” He said the fan has been purchased, as well as the weather station that will interact with the testing module to allow his company to plot the detectability of odors that may occur.
According to documents on KP Law P.C. letterhead produced by Piasecki to The Berkshire Edge, West Stockbridge’s legal fees totaled $9,684 from August 31, 2022 to November 13, 2023, in conjunction with Wiseacre matters, with those fees paid by Wiseacre pursuant to the agreement. The Berkshire Edge has requested confirmation from town officials as to the authenticity of the document and verification of the totals but has not received a response as of press time.
With a number of cannabis facilities in Massachusetts failing due to market saturation and the legalization of marijuana in nearby states, Piasecki said that growing cannabis outside is a way for Wiseacre, a wholesaler, to keep product prices down. “This is a business like any other business operating in the town, and most towns are thankful to have businesses in their towns,” he said.
At the meeting, West Stockbridge Highway Superintendent Curt Wilton informed the Select Board that the town was not awarded state grant approval for three Complete Streets projects submitted by the Complete Streets Advisory Board out of 15 project options. He said he is seeking the reason for denial and may reapply with a revised submission, as well as find other state and federal grants to cover the improvement costs.
Additionally, West Stockbridge was determined to be a Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program town, the first hurdle to qualifying for MVP grants that could cover culvert, bridge, and road projects among other programs, Wilton said. “We’ve got some real clout now,” he said.
