LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Planning Commission will once again consider a large commercial cannabis operation to be located near Hidden Valley Lake that the Board of Supervisors overturned on appeal last year.
The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The agenda is here.
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In an item scheduled for 9:20 a.m., the commission will hold a public hearing to consider a major use permit and mitigated negative declaration sought by Zarina Otchkova, owner of We Grow LLC., for a project to be located at 16750 Herrington Road, 17610 Sandy Road and 19678 Stinson Road in Middletown.
The property size is 300 acres but the cannabis-related operations will cover about nine acres and include 34 greenhouses, four drying buildings, a shed, 20 water tanks and privacy fencing. An estimated 130 blue oak trees will need to be removed.
The commission approved a slightly different version of the project — with one more greenhouse and fewer water tanks — in April of last year.
However, two months later, the Board of Supervisors — citing a faulty environmental document — upheld the appeal by a group of concerned neighbors, but did so without prejudice, leaving the door open for Otchkova to resubmit the project.
The project continues to face opposition from neighbors and area residents, who in letters to the commission are raising a host of issues — from water supply, to noise, smell, traffic and appropriate land use.
The full agenda follows.
AGENDA
Consideration of the adoption of Assembly Bill 361 findings authorizing teleconference meetings during a state of emergency.
Consideration of the approval of the minutes from the Dec. 16, 2021, and Jan. 13, 2022, Planning Commission hearings.
9 a.m.: Public hearing on consideration of a major use permit (UP 20-75) and a mitigated negative declaration (IS 20-88). The project applicant, North Coast Select Inc., is proposing a co-location/clustering of permits for cannabis cultivation operation to allow 70,560 square feet mixed-light canopy area within greenhouses equipped with air filtration systems in a total of 168,680 square feet cultivation area. The project includes additional greenhouses for immature plants, a processing facility,a drying building, thirty-two 2,500 gallon water tanks, security and a perimeter fence. The project is located at 1496 Bell Hill Road, Kelseyville, and further described as APNs 017-002-02, 007-010-24 and 017-002-01.
9:10 a.m.: Public hearing on consideration of a major use permit (UP 20-68) and a mitigated negative declaration (IS 20-83). The project applicant, Cristhian Hernandez, is applying for a two-acre outdoor canopy area within 170,730 square feet cultivation area to include 12 shipping containers with a total of 4,000 square feet solar panels and eight outdoor drying tents on existing agricultural land located at 2000 Clover Valley Road in Upper Lake, also known as APN 004-007-25.
9:15 a.m.: Public hearing on consideration of a major use permit (UP 21-42) and a mitigated negative declaration (IS 21-44). The applicant Linodhi Inc. is proposing three A-Type 3 medium outdoor commercial cannabis cultivation licenses and one A-Type 13 Self Distribution license to allow legal transport of cannabis to and from the site. The project location is 6680 Wilkinson Road (cultivation site) and 6690 Wilkinson Road, Kelseyville, and further described as APNs 007-018-14 and 007-018-15.
9:20 a.m.: Public hearing on consideration of a major use permit (UP 20-22) and a mitigated negative declaration (IS 20-25). The applicant Zarina Otchkova/We Grow LLC., proposes 15 A-Type 3B mixed light commercial cannabis cultivation licenses and one A-Type 13 ‘Self Distribution’ license. Proposed are 32 90-foot by 125-foot greenhouses; two 90-foot by 125-foot greenhouses for immature plant starts; four 50-foot by 100-foot drying buildings; one 200 square foot shed; 20 5,000 gallon water tanks; one 6-foot tall galvanized woven wire fence covered with privacy mesh to screen the greenhouses from public view. Total proposed cultivation area is 387,600 square feet, or roughly nine acres; total proposed canopy area is 330,000 square feet. The applicant is also proposing the removal of 130 blue oak trees. The project is located at 16750 Herrington Road (cultivation site), 17610 Sandy Road and 19678 Stinson Road in Middletown; and further described as APN 013-060-40 (cultivation site) and A.P.N.s 013-014-03 and 013-014-11 (clustering sites).
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Lake County Planning Commission to reconsider large cannabis operation near Hidden Valley Lake
- Elizabeth Larson
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