To the editor:
The Warren Town Council will hold a public hearing on Thursday April 26 and vote on the rezoning of our town for the growing of marijuana. To many this may seem innocuous now, but with Governor Raimondo, plus a coalition of state lawmakers, marijuana cultivators and other groups pushing for the legalization of recreational or “party time” use of the drug, this could change the culture of our little town.
Would you ever see this being proposed in Barrington or Bristol? I doubt it. While our neighboring town of Barrington will be known for its great schools and Bristol for its production of world class yachts, Warren could be known for its production of “party time” marijuana. I wonder if we could be seeing marijuana conglomerates buying up places like Parker Mill or Cutler Mill along with the neighboring homes to give them that 100-foot residential buffer zone they would need. Or maybe some farms in Touisset, where instead of fields of corn and hay there could be large growing buildings with armed guards for night security.
This council is about to select a path for the future of our town. Warren has been afforded a great new path of development, with the upscale American Tourister project and the Streetscape work at Water Street. This spark of redevelopment could spread throughout Warren and help it prosper in the future for the betterment of all that live here now and hopefully to entice others who would like to be a part of our town, to live and work here.
I urge you to attend this hearing and tell the council not to take this shortsighted path that focuses on potential quick money regardless of the social impact on our community and the stigma that the best Warren can do is grow pot. Tell them not to extinguish that new spark of redevelopment that could make Warren a whole lot better than a pot-growing mill town.
Raymond F. Palmieri Sr.
53 Beth Ave.