North Andover Pot-Growing Facility Rejected, Town Meeting Approves $6.2M K-Complex

NORTH ANDOVER, MA -- Town Meeting on Tuesday will tackle the rezoning of the former Lucent Technologies plant on Osgood Road for a marijuana-cultivating facility and decide on spending $6.2 million to expand the Early Childhood Complex.

The proposal by North Andover residents Dr. Jeff Goldstein, former medical director of Lowell General's radiation oncology department, and his wife, Orit, calls for a marijuana-growing facility at 1600 Osgood St., the site of the former Lucent Technologies manufacturing plant.

They are asking for 1.1 million square feet of property to be zoned for growing marijuana to be distributed to dispensaries, as well as for research.

Medical marijuana, which has been legal for years, has been generally acknowledged by doctors and patients for improving the quality of life for cancer patients.

But the proposal faces a huge hurdle at Town Meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. at the North Andover High School auditorium, where residents will vote on three warrant articles will determine the future of the facility.

Articles 9, 10, and 11 deal with changes to the zoning bylaws in town to include 1600 Osgood St. in the medical marijuana overlay district.

The Planning Board will recommend the town reject Articles 9 and 11, so town officials can have more time to study the issue, according to the Eagle- Tribune.

There also are six citizen petitions filed to the Town Meeting warrant this year. Two are for age exemptions for civil service officers, one advocates for anti-corruption in government, the Eagle- Tribune reports.

Within the annual Town Meeting there will be a special Town Meeting where residents will vote on the proposed $6.2 million Early Childhood Complex Expansion or the K Complex.

School officials say there is a growing need to expand the Early Childhood Center to add classrooms for the kindergarten program to reduce class size.

The project involved using modular units that are built off-site and shipped ready to be permanently installed.

The cost of the project will be be included in the town's Fiscal Year 2018 Capital Improvement Plan via traditional borrowing and $4 million from the reserve fund.

The CIP must be approved by two- thirds majority at Town Meeting or the plan fails.

If approved, the K Complex should be ready for students in September of 2018.

For more in this story read the Eagle-Tribune.