Couple’s Joint Effort Falls Just Short–Town Meeting & Elections Next Week!
May 15, 2025
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Window Panes Home and Garden.
TRENTON—A citizens’ petition to allow an adult-use marijuana store license fell 4.6 people short at Trenton’s May 13 Select Board meeting.
Ellis and Carolee Batson submitted 79 valid signatures of registered Trenton voters.
The amount of signatures needed for the select board to accept the citizens’ petition is 10% of the town’s voters in the last gubernatorial election.
According to Administrator and Municipal Clerk Carol Reed Walsh, 836 people voted in the last gubernatorial election. Ten percent of that number would be 83.6.
“We need 84 and you have 79,” Select Board member John Bennett said.
“We can do that. We can get a few more,” Carolee Batson told the board members during the congenial exchange.
They’ll come back to the select board at a future meeting with those signatures, she said.
The Batsons own the building where they already run a medical marijuana business. They are hoping to have two recreational store licenses in Trenton.
Carolee Batson said they don’t want to open the town to multiple retail marijuana stores nor have a big company come in but allow the two existing stores to be able to sell to tourists.
“And try to get some of the money back here from Southwest Harbor,” she said, referencing the retail marijuana store on Mount Desert Island.
Locally, Southwest Harbor allows retail marijuana sales at Meristem, which opened in 2021. It is Hancock County’s only retail recreational medical marijuana shop. Bar Harbor voters turned down a 2022 proposal that would have allowed recreational retail shops in the town. At the time, the Bar Harbor Town Council had been worried about lack of restrictions and transferable licenses.
Though Hancock County only hosts one retail storefront option for those who do not need medical marijuana, there were over 200 stores in Maine in 2024 that were applying for licenses or currently have licenses.
In October 2024, the state reported almost $21 million in retail sales from just under 400,000 transactions. The average price for a gram of marijuana was up two cents in October (over the year) at $7.29.
In April 2025 there were approximately $19 million in retail sales from just under 382,000 transactions. The average price had also lowered to $6.63 for the month.
In 2023 there was $216,934,352 in retail sales of marijuana. That was up from just over $4 million in 2020, and then approximately $82 million in 2021.
For any retail store in Trenton, the first step is getting the use allowed, which is why the Batsons are bringing forward another petition. Their last petition had been deemed a bit too wordy by the town.
LIQUOR LICENSES
The board also approved the liquor license and special amusement permit for Adam Woodfin’s new restaurant Currents, which is in the location of the former Downeast Lobster Pound. Volta’s liquor license was also renewed.
DEPARTING BOARD MEMBERS
The board also thanked Dan Monahan and Charles Farley for their service. It was the last meeting for both men who are both moving from Trenton.
“I’ve appreciated you guys,” Bennet said.
HOW YOU CAN HELP DETERMINE TRENTON’S FUTURE: TOWN MEETING
Trenton’s town meeting begins with elections from 2 – 6 p.m. on Monday, May 19, 2025 at the town office at 59 Oak Point Road.
The open town meeting will continue on May 20, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. at
the Trenton Elementary School Gymnasium.
CANDIDATES:
Select Board
One seat – three-year term
- Danielle Cole (incumbent) – three-year term
One seat – two-year term
- Judith Sproule – two-year term
- Carol Perreault – two-year term
One seat – one-year term
- Jarrod Rollins – one-year term
- Susan Sargent – one-year term
Trenton School Committee
Two seats – three-year term
- There are two write in candidates. If you vote for a write-in candidate, make sure to check the box next to their name for the vote to count. Cecilia Zavestoski and Carlene Hanscom have both declared their intention as write-ins.
UPCOMING: Planning Board Public Hearing
June 11, 2025
7:00 p.m.
Trenton Town Office
A public hearing is scheduled for June 11th at 7:00 pm at the Trenton town office to hear comments on the Subdivision Application submitted to subdivide Map 31 Lot 10, for the property located at 12 Fairway Vista Drive.
At a public hearing, there is time for the members of the public to speak. Anyone can attend.
NEW OFFICE HOURS EFFECTIVE May 5, 2025
The Town Office will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursdays and closed Fridays.
Planning Board has openings
There are two openings on the Trenton Planning Board. If interested, please fill out a volunteer interest form and leave it at the town office.
The Planning Board meets the second Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m.
LINKS TO LEARN MORE
Trenton Candidates Talk Growth, Housing, and Transparency Ahead of May Town Meeting
View Land Use Ordinance with Solar Draft (pdf)
https://www.maine.gov/dafs/ocp/open-data/adult-use/retail-sales
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