CO: Marijuana Grow Facility Planned For Wright's Mesa

Katelyn Baker

Well-Known Member
The first marijuana cultivation facility outside of Ilium may soon put down roots on Wright's Mesa.

The San Miguel County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to approve plans for the construction of a 3,000-square-foot greenhouse that will be used to grow cannabis on a parcel of land on the mesa.

The proposal comes from Telluride business owners Mike Grady and Nolan Murphy, who own retail and medical marijuana store Alpine Wellness, LLC on Colorado Avenue.

Grady and Murphy own the 79-acre parcel of land, which they lease out for commercial and agricultural use. But in order to start work on the new facility, they had to apply for a Special Use Permit.

Pursuant to the county land use code, an SUP must be obtained before a marijuana cultivation facility can be constructed outside of Ilium Industrial Park, where the majority of grow facilities are housed.

Alpine Wellness is sourced by an indoor grow facility in Ilium, but Grady said the new solar-powered greenhouse is more in line with their business' eco-friendly ambitions.

"Our intention is to be a more energy-efficient company," said Grady. "That's a really important part of our motto, and we're continuing to make steps to be eco-friendly and to operate using predominantly natural resources."

Grady cited an increase in demand following the release of Alpine Wellness' new line of edible products as another reason for the facility's construction.

The proposal had to undergo a two-part process in order to gain approval. The county planning commission passed it with a 3-2 vote in early May before it went before the board of commissioners this week.

Though all three members of the board voted to approve the proposal, it was not met with the same positive sentiment by all attendees of the Tuesday night meeting, which entailed a public hearing that ran more than two hours long.

"It was a packed house," said Mike Rozycki, planning director for San Miguel County. "A lot of folks showed up last night. A lot of people spoke out against the facility, but a lot of people spoke in favor of it, and a lot of them were citizens (of Norwood and the nearby area), which is even more surprising."

Rozycki said much of the opposition stemmed from concern over plans to irrigate the cannabis crops, which at one point included the potential use of municipal water. But Grady said that they were able to come up with a solution that the board found satisfactory.

Grady and Murphy are working with a water attorney to investigate the possibility of drilling commercial wells on the property. In the meantime, they plan on installing a dehumidifier in the greenhouse to recycle water that is evaporated from the plants.

Even in the face of some disapproval, Grady said that he was pleasantly surprised at the number of people - many local residents - who turned out to support them Tuesday night.

"A lot of people are starting to come together and they want to see growth and progression in the area," he said. "Tons of locals showed up to support us, and that's something that I think points to a real shift in thought, and it's something that's really exciting."

Construction on the new facility is expected to get underway as early as September, but Grady said that he and Murphy aren't out of the weeds quite yet.

"After we build the greenhouse, we'll have to get it inspected by the sheriff's office, the police department and the fire department - they have to check off and approve everything before we can get a license," he said. "Then (the Marijuana Enforcement Division) has to make sure that we have the right surveillance and security in place. All of that has to happen before we can start growing."

Grady said they hope to have the greenhouse up and running by November or early December, though year-round operation of the facility will be contingent on a steady water supply.

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News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Marijuana Grow Facility Planned For Wright's Mesa
Author: Abigail Thornton
Contact: (970) 728-9788
Photo Credit: Alessandro Bianchi
Website: Telluride Daily Planet
 
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