Chloe Shelford May 20, 2021
The Smithers Laboratory, which has operated out of a location next door to the Decas School since 2002, has expressed interest in purchasing the school after it closes, officials reported at the May 20 Redevelopment Authority Meeting.
The lab is requesting a zoning change at the June 12 Town Meeting that would allow the company to begin testing cannabis at its current location, which is less than 500 feet from the school.
And they may be expanding further.
The Decas School is set to close in January 2022, once students have moved to the new school being built on Minot Avenue.
A variety of uses have been floated for the old school. Calls to convert the building to senior housing seem unlikely to go forward, as the Redevelopment Authority, Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District, and senior housing developer Pennrose have agreed the site is not well-suited for that use.