PROPOSED POT OPERATION WORRIES NEIGHBORS

LONGMONT -- Neighbors off Yellowstone Road north of Longmont are
concerned about plans that have been submitted to Boulder County for a
marijuana grow operation near their property.

But Scott Mullner says he has no intention of growing pot on the
67-acre Szymanski Farm.

The 43-year-old consultant, farmer and Laramie, Wyo., city councilman
plans to buy the property from Cyd and Steve Szymanski, but the sale
is contingent on getting the county's approval to change the zoning
from "feed lot" to "intensive agricultural" use. Specifically,
Mullner's proposal details plans to grow and store marijuana on the
property, though a new state law would prohibit him from growing
marijuana in Colorado.

"As a non-resident, I can't legally grow marijuana," said
Mullner.

But, he said, the land will be more valuable if a future buyer can
operate a marijuana grow operation there.

"I wanted to preserve the opportunity for someone to use it to grow on
in the future," Mullner said. "It's much more valuable to me, as an
investor, having that guarantee there."

Though a grow operation isn't in the immediate future at the farm,
neighbors still oppose Mullner's move.

"It's very upsetting to think that they would be putting a marijuana
place up there in Longmont," said Carole Sells, who lives in Denver
but owns land just east of the Szymanski Farm, along U.S. Highway 287.

Sells said she's worried that a marijuana grow operation would draw a
criminal element into the area.

And she finds the entire medicinal marijuana argument bogus anyway,
she said.

"This has nothing to do with medicine, helping people," said Sells, a
nurse. "This has to do with making money."

The owner of Duran's Hobby Acres, which backs up against the Szymanski
Farm, said he opposes the land use change because it would go against
the "family" atmosphere of the area.

"I'm trying to make a living here, and anything in this environment
right now that's a negative, that hurts our business," Robert Duran
said.

For many years, the Szymanski Farm housed the Nest Fresh Eggs
operation, which Cyd Szymanski started in 1992. She sold the business
to a California company in 2006, according to her husband, Steve, and
that company shut down the operations of the farm. The Szymanskis
continued to own the property.

The property has had a conservation easement on it since 1986, which
means it can never be used for anything but agriculture, according to
Janis Whisman, the county's conservation easement program manager.

Though Mullner said he doesn't plan to start a marijuana growing
operation, three other Boulder County property owners have applied to
grow pot on their land, according to Summer Howard, a planner with the
Land Use Department.

One of those, at 1840 55th St., has already been approved with
conditions.

Mullner's application and one for 3705 N. 75th St. are on hold, and
another for 7195 Arapahoe Road is in the process, Howard said.

"(Mullner's proposal) is on hold because I needed more information
about the lighting plan, the fencing plan and the estimated traffic
with this use," Howard said.

In June, the Boulder County Commissioners passed new regulations that
prohibit ag land in the county from being used to grow pot. But
Mullner and the other three applicants had their requests in before
that.