The Hubbardston Planning Board voted unanimously Thursday to continue its public hearing on a special permit and site plan review application from Bowie Bertold Paper Crane Provisions LLC for a proposed expansion of a commercial marijuana facility at 56 Gardner Road.

Alec, the town planner, told the board the application carries a statutory 90-day decision deadline that begins when the board opens the public hearing. He said the applicant asked to pause substantive review while it finishes revisions to a host community agreement with the town administrator and the select board. "The applicant is working on revisions to a host community agreement with the town administrator and select board," Alec said, and asked the board to postpone engineering review until that process is complete to avoid unnecessary engineering costs.

The planner recommended the board continue the hearing to the March 20 meeting and agreed with the applicant’s engineer on a written arrangement: the applicant will provide written notice (an email to the planning office) at least 14 days before the March 20 meeting if it chooses to proceed, at which point engineering review and a deposit would be triggered and the statutory review clock would reset from that written notice date. Alec also told the board that if the matter extended beyond about 60 days from Feb. 5 the board might consider a withdrawal without prejudice and refile later, but his primary recommendation was a continuance to March 20.

Chair Chris of the Hubbardston Planning Board asked for two motions: authorization for the chair to sign an extension on the board’s behalf and a motion to continue the hearing to March 20 at 6:30 p.m. Both motions passed on roll-call votes with the recorded votes: Russell, aye; Dack, aye; DeMalia, aye; Chair, aye. The board noted the applicant would provide written notice by email to the planning office at least 14 days before the March 20 meeting if it intends to resume and provide the required engineering deposit.

The board did not take up engineering review or any substantive conditions at Thursday’s meeting; those steps will occur only if and when the applicant provides the written notice required under the arrangement. The public hearing will remain open and officially continued to March 20, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. at the Slade Building and virtually.