Business View Civil and Municipal | March 2021

37 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL MARCH 2021 DRACUT , MASSACHUSETTS In 2001, Dracut adopted the Community Preservation Act (CPA), a state law that permits residents to vote to add a surcharge onto their existing property taxes for the purposes of protecting local landmarks and preserving the historical heritage of the town. To date, over $2.35 billion in CPA funding has been raised on 12,000 projects throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. “It’s been a high priority for the community to continue funding these critical projects,” says Town Manager, Ann Vandal. “The CPA has really made a major impact in allowing us to move forward with certain purchases that the general fund wouldn’t normally pick up.” GreenStar Herbals was one such project; in collaboration with Vantage Builders Inc., a metro Boston-based design-build and construction management firm, they converted a World War II-era woolen mill on the Merrimack River into a 13,000-square-foot, wooden-floored, steel- beamed cannabis dispensary. “The Town meeting approved the cannabis retail, distribution, and production business, so we currently have four marijuana facilities on the books,” shares Vandal. “When the town put to a vote whether we were going to allow marijuana into Dracut, we also proposed that the cannabis facilities be restricted to industrial-zoned properties and lands. A lot of our mills happen to be in that existing industrial zone. GreenStar’s owner invested about $8 million into his mill to get things up and running. It’s a beautiful facility. Very well run. Very professional.” “These cannabis companies have also committed to doing job fairs within Dracut,” adds Alison Genest, a Member of the Board of Selectmen. “They’ve promised to give the majority of their positions to Dracut residents, which is a sign of a good corporate partner.” The Board of Selectmen has so far authorized four special permits and licenses for retail marijuana outfits: GreenStar Herbals, Lazy River Products, BKPN and New