In the March Snowflake Town Council meeting, the Snowflake Town Council entered into a development agreement with Copperstate Farms, one of two medical marijuana growers in town. This agreement essentially permits Copperstate to double in size from 40 acres to 80 acres. Copperstate’s Snowflake location is already the largest marijuana cultivation site in the United States.
Present at the meeting was Fife Symington, Copperstate’s Co-Founder and Managing Director. He highlighted to the Council that he followed through with the promises he made in 2016 when the special use permit was initially granted to Copperstate including the number of employees. Currently, Symington advised the Council that there are 369 employees in the Snowflake facility. Symington also highlighted Copperstate’s cooperation with the Town to address the flooding issues within the Industrial Park. Symington also highlighted that Copperstate has brought more revenue to the Town of Snowflake.
Copperstate helped facilitate a retention basin that is directly north of the greenhouse by purchasing the property on behalf of the Town. In addition, Copperstate pays an annual business fee to the Town depending on the size of their operation.
Now, the developmental agreement will help facilitate Copperstate’s expansion. The agreement calls for annual payments in the amount of $400,000 to the Town. The Town’s consideration in the agreement is to waive any permitting costs for the expansion and to expedite permits needed for the expansion. In addition, the Town is required to change the direction of the stop signs on Rutledge Drive and Industrial Way. Furthermore, the Town will abandon the northern section of the right of way of Industrial Way that divides Copperstate’s land.
Medical Marijuana was approved in 2010 by the voters of Arizona. Recreational use of marijuana followed suit 10 years later when it was approved last November with the passage of Proposition 207.
Beginning in 1998, Snowflake previously had at least two vegetable growers use the greenhouse located in the Industrial Park before ultimately shutting down. It sat vacant for a short while until 2016 when Copperstate applied for and was granted a special use permit to grow marijuana. The town council at the time narrowly approved Copperstate’s permit. Since then, the cultivation went from a fraction of the 40 acres in cultivation to now utilizing the entire 40 acres.
In the meeting, Mr. Symington informed the Council that they intend to double the cultivation to 80 acres and that they plan on breaking ground early 2022. Symington also stated that Copperstate has not and does not plan on opening a retail space in Town. He stated that Copperstate currently provides for 60% of the entire wholesale market to medical marijuana dispensaries throughout Arizona.
Symington did note, however, that Copperstate does not have control over medical dispensaries that are now selling its products they provided for recreational use since many medical dispensaries are now being approved for recreation sales of marijuana.
Vice Mayor Ballard was concerned about the smell and the high turnover rate of employees. Mr. Symington did acknowledge that initially there was a high turnover rate because the farm was writing their policies and procedures as they went. The farm experienced growing pains but Symington stated that those early issues have now been dialed in and that turnover isn’t what it used to be.
Ballard also asked about the residency of the employees. Symington stated that nearly all are residents of Navajo County but that all do not live locally in Snowflake or Taylor due to the lack of housing within Silver Creek Valley.
Although the smell was brought up, no mention was made of the light pollution at night from the greenhouse. The development agreement was approved 6-1 with Councilman Byron Lewis casting the lone dissenting vote.
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