Good post. Just one small correction. The zoning issue, if it is new, it is because it was ignored by the company. Bill said there was no zoning issue, long before the town announced they were looking at implementing zoning amendments for the medical mj industry. The company has always been under the Value Added restriction for that site, even if they continually either ignore it (which they have done) or state it is not an issue (which they have done). If you look at an article done in January 13 of this year, Steve Salmons voiced his concerns then about what was being planned inside the building, and stated at that time they would be limited to 6000 sqft and five employees. How can the company now fairly say, they were not aware of issues and are shocked at the course of action being contemplated by the town.
HC cannot respond to the town, not because the town does not have the authority to ask, but rather because HC cannot respond as regards on specific applicant - any more than if you or I asked HC to not grant the license. Bills response was typical bombast but he knows as well any anyone HC cannot comment or even acknowledge the towns request. HC can still grant the license but that license being used is dependent upon the company being in compliance with all local zoning regulations and by-laws.
The town stated quite clearly no one will be grandfathered in, Bill insisted they would be. The town made it quiet clear the value added was a concern, Bill continued to make public statements they had received all municipal approvals. He was half right to be sure. He can grow but he will be greatly limited by the space restriction for processing. Did Bill announce they had applied for a zoning amendment? Was there a press release about the company applying for a zoning amendment. I may be wrong but I do not recall seeing any press release regarding that. If I am correct, why? Because in my opinion it would shake the market because now Bill would have to say the approval they had they did not have. Makes it tough to deny your own stated position. This whole fiasco could have been avoided had the company done their homework. Surely Jim Shaaban, the landowner and the landlord knew the value added designation was attached to that land. Maybe shareholders can sue Jim Shaaban.
Bottom line, the town might still well removed the value added from site #1 as part of their overall plan for where this activity should be located. That would make sense and public policy clearly illustrates not everyone will be in agreement and there always will be those who are opposed to any activity taking place across the street. One needs only look no further than the uproar wind turbines are causing. They are not the panacea many thought them to be despite the good intentions of those who own them (to be green and to make money). Investors keep bringing up the Tom Bain presence at the press conference. So what! He was also present at Jim Shaabans press conference and if history teaches you anything in this case it is the town was not willing to give him what he wanted despite all the smiling faces grinning into the camera, including Tom Bain. So Bains' presence at that press conference means nothing. As a government official, for an activity like this which is legal, by not being there would have seemed prejudicial and anything the town asked for in terms of compliance could have been viewed as prejudicial to the interests of CEN. His absence could have been construed as being against it, so he went. And he went without knowing the town would soon be home to the world's largest, best, biggest etc etc and so on. The company created their own public relations nightmare and now they have to deal with it.
It can still be saved but the hyperbole has to stop and real work begin to bring the company into the good graces of the regulations currently being considered, and the ones currently in place and have been so since before CEN even considered being a medical mj company.
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