Staff Report
Date: January 11, 2024
To: Planning Commission
From: Mireya G. Turner, Director
Michelle Irace, Principal Planner
Prepared by Eric Porter, Associate Planner
Subject: Consideration of proposed Major Use Permit (UP 20-40), and Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS 20-50), for approval of 22,000-sf of cannabis canopy inside eight greenhouses within a fenced 47,040-sf enclosure; project includes a 48' x 100' drying building, and one Type 13 Cannabis Distributor Transport Only, Self-Distribution License; Applicant: Higher Ground Farms/John Oliver; Located: 3545 Finley East Road, Kelseyville (APN: 008-026-07)
Executive Summary:
This application is requesting one A-Type 3B mixed-light commercial cannabis cultivation license for 22,000 sf of cannabis canopy within eight 30' x 96' greenhouses; two 30' x 96' greenhouses for immature plants; one 48' x 100' building for cannabis processing and drying, and a Type 13 Distributor Transport Only, Self-distribution License. The project includes site improvements with the following: 6' tall screening/ security fence, security system, employee parking, a 10' x 10' restroom, and improvements to the interior driveway to make it compliant with Public Resource Codes (PRC) 4290 and 4291. The applicant is proposing to have two 5,000-gallon water tanks on site for irrigation. Water will be provided from an existing permitted on-site groundwater well. The applicant indicates that there will be four full-time employees, and up to 16 seasonal employees during peak harvest season.
Construction is anticipated to last up to three months and would occur Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Site work includes building 10 greenhouses, building the 48' x 100' processing / drying building, fence installation and improving the interior driveway to meet PRC 4290 and 4291 commercial driveway standards. Average vehicle trips during construction are estimated to be eight to sixteen daily trips, with up to 1,152 total pr...
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