Gardner Planning Board Approves Pearl Street Subdivision, Grants Cannabis Delivery Permit

GARDNER — March 24, 2026 — Gardner Planning Board advances a 46-unit Pearl Street subdivision and approves a cannabis delivery permit in the same session. The board voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the preliminary subdivision plan submitted by Dan Sheen of Haley Ward on behalf of FWP Realty Partners, covering a 54.82-acre wooded parcel proposed for 11 quadplexes and one duplex across 12 lots, with roughly 3,000 linear feet of new roadway off Pearl Street. A resident raised concerns about a certified vernal pool near the site; the applicant acknowledged further wetland delineation is required before the definitive stage, which the board indicated it prefers to see redesigned as a more compact Open Space Residential Development. The board also unanimously granted a special permit amendment to Hedico LLC, operating as Stella 51 LLC, to add marijuana delivery operations to its existing cultivation and manufacturing facility at Lechant Street, with conditions tied to Cannabis Control Commission rules under 935 CMR 500 — a move backed by Gardner Police Chief McAvee, who wrote in an email read into the record that the department had "no issue or concerns" with cannabis delivery in the city.