Blandford Select Board approves highway trailer contract, hears cannabis HCA pitch

BLANDFORD -- March 23, 2026, Blandford Select Board approves calcium trailer purchase, hears cannabis cultivation pitch, and sets compressed special town meeting timeline. The board unanimously approved a purchase order with vendor ABI for a custom calcium trailer, funded through Chapter 90 state reimbursement, with payment due within 30 days of delivery and no money required upfront; MassDOT project manager Dave Stokes had previously approved the Chapter 90 expenditure. Isaac Fleischer, legal counsel for Fred Rock Farms Mountain Top Cannabis LLC, and sole owner Mike Zapp presented a host community agreement request for a proposed indoor and outdoor cannabis cultivation and solventless extraction operation at 39 Gift Road, a 111-acre parcel, with a projected maximum of three to four employees and finished product shipments estimated at roughly once every two weeks. Town Administrator Christina reported the annual town meeting warrant stands at approximately 32 articles, with a special town meeting targeting April 28 if the Planning Board finalizes bylaw revisions at its April 3 public hearing and the Select Board approves the warrant at its April 13 meeting. A performance review of Highway Superintendent Ray concluded with board members praising crew development and road quality improvements while flagging paperwork timeliness and the need to stay clear of union-related communications as ongoing concerns.