A prominent Lunenburg businessman is calling it quits.
Farley Blackman is CEO of Farblack, the company that owns the Lunenburg Opera House, Discord Gallery and other historic properties in the town.
Blackman has been working to establish several new businesses, but an issue with the location of power lines near his properties has stalled construction.
He says plans to build a distillery, cidery, brewery and chocolate factory on the location, and the 100 jobs it would have created, had to be scrapped.
After years of wading through red tape at town hall, Blackman says he’s no longer willing to invest time and energy and is divesting his interests in the town.
“It is the responsibility of the mayor and the chief adminstrative officer to create a culture that allows people to comply easily, and guides them through the process. And that is not the case.”
He says the last straw was the town dragging its feet to relocate the power lines.
“We have offered to help pay for this, for both these issues, even though at least one of them, we shouldn’t have to. For it to take well over a year, with no actual progress, I do not see how that can be considered working diligently.”
Blackman says after repeated discussions, he can’t understand how town officials can say they don’t know what he is asking for.
Meanwhile, Lunenburg Mayor Rachel Bailey says the town appreciates all the work and investment made by Farley Blackman and his company.
She says the town has sent a letter, asking Blackman to clarify what it is he needs the town to do.
“Any formal requests that have come to town hall and to our staff, as far I know, they’ve been working diligently to help him do whatever it is he’s trying to do.”
Bailey says she’s at a loss to explain the level of frustration Blackman seems to be experiencing.
“I can’t understand the rationale when other businesspeople have been able to move ahead and have not experienced the level of difficulty that people seem to believe he has experienced.”
She says council has worked with Blackman to facilitate changes to by-laws on a couple of occassions.
Bailey says it’s unfortunate Blackman is upset, but she is open to meeting with him at any time to try and help.
****Update August 22, 2017 – The Town of Lunenburg has provided a response to the FARBLACK Facebook post.
