MONTAGUE — Representatives from Flower Power Growers Inc. were at the Selectboard meeting Monday night to address community concerns around ongoing odors coming from its 180 Industrial Park location, which people say are affecting the area around the plant.

Flower Power Growers Inc. CEO Ezra Hagerty was met with questions by Selectboard members and residents about the different factors within the cannabis cultivation process that may contribute to the odor emanating from the building. Hagerty explained the company purchased an odor control system which he said is “scientifically proven” to be effective. The plant has exhaust fans that are air-treated to mitigate odor escaping from the greenhouses.

Despite this equipment, complaints have been brought to Hagerty about the odor by businesses in the Industrial Park since September 2023. The Board of Health also has received complaints from the public concerned over the odors. Hagerty said there’s “subjectivity of how people perceive the odor,” and this can be influenced through different weather factors.

Kim Williams, owner of the Ja’Duke Preschool located in the Industrial Park brought forward her concerns working with young children, who she said have been exposed to the odors and how adjustments had to be made to keep them indoors when it was strongest.

“We had an instance where the odor was so bad that our 180 preschool students were unable to go out onto the playground that day,” Williams said. “That’s when we reached a real level of knowing we need to do something different.”

Williams said she has been in communication with Flower Power Growers Inc. in the months prior by email to share her complaints.

“It doesn’t matter how expensive or great your systems are, if they don’t prevent odor, it’s not good,” Williams said. She noted she was told by Flower Power Growers Inc. during a 2022 special permit meeting there wouldn’t be an odor, and that the company recognizes concerns over the nearby school.

Nick Waynelovich, also with Ja’Duke, commented at the meeting that around 150 kids go between the different facilities daily, with visiting families noticing the smell as well.

“We’re educated people. We know the difference between Febreze and marijuana smell,” Waynelovich said.

Another resident living near the plant expressed concern about a “nauseous” smell and asked what activities take place in the building, which Hagerty explained is the cultivation of marijuana and no manufacturing of products.

Flower Power Growers Inc. attorney John Stobierski clarified the emissions from the building include a plant-based odor neutralizer that in high concentrations can smell of cannabis, but is not cannabis being released.

“If somebody smells something, we can tinker with that and adjust it… we should have the formulations that maximize the neutralizer so you can’t smell the neutralizer, nor the cannabis,” Stobierski explained.

Director of Public Health Ryan Paxton was at the meeting on behalf of the Board of Health to explain that odor complaints have been made to the board since 2023.

“What I’ve witnessed is that the smell is in fact observable at different times,” Paxton said about his visits to the Industrial Park, but notes the strength of the odor differs at times.

Town Administrator Steven Ellis explained the town is looking for reduced time between a complaint and its rectification by the company. He said the town does not want to be answering for the company when it comes to addressing complaints.

“We want to make sure that people know they are being heard, and that the town and company are taking it seriously, but that we’re not in a position of parroting,” Ellis elaborated.

The Host Agreement Contract (HCA) attached to the meeting materials contains a section dedicated to odor mitigation which Selectboard member Matt Lord recalls seeing in the contract, and understands what he described as the “sense of betrayal” felt by those who’ve complained about the odor despite written assurance of its mitigation.

In looking at next steps, the Selectboard was not sure that bringing in an independent engineer to assess the odor mitigation system, per the HCA contract, would be appropriate at this stage.

Selectboard Chair Richard Kuklewicz noted a document provided to the Selectboard which contained detailed information on the odor mitigation system present at the Flower Power Growers Inc. with discussion on its effectiveness in municipalities in other states. He proposed the idea that Hagerty and Paxton return with expert commentary on this equipment for the Selectboard to review.

“We’d be happy to bring [Flower Power Growers Inc.] representatives back in front of the Selectboard and in front of the community to speak to or present some of the documentation,” Hagerty said. Other next steps presented included getting objective data on weather patterns and local geological factors that may influence how the odor travels, and developing a reporting tool to allow people to report outside conditions when they file an odor complaint to provide more data.

A similar odor issue at a Greenfield cannabis cultivation site was addressed during a May Zoning Board of Appeals meeting as reported by the Recorder. Concerns of odor and noise from the 15 Arch St. LLC prompted community discussion on a request for a special permit license that the ZBA voted to continue discussions on.

Erin-Leigh Hoffman can be reached at ehoffman@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.