Title
SUMMIT WEST PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, LLC Zone Reclassification and PROXIMA INVESTMENTS, LLC Special Permit
Case Numbers ZR-17-006 and SP-16-123
Assessor Parcel Number (APN) 313-203-020
Fickle Hill/Arcata Area
A Zone Reclassification (ZR) to change the zoning of APN 313-203-020 from the Unclassified (U) zone to Agriculture General with a Special Building Site Combining Zone of 10-acres AG B-5(10) in order to implement the General Plan land use designation of Residential Agricultural (RA) with a density range of one dwelling unit per five acres to one dwelling per 20 acres (5-20). The subject 12.81 acre parcel. A Special Permit (SP) for an indoor commercial cannabis cultivation operation to occur inside two existing non-residential structures, with a total cultivation area of 3,565 square feet. Commercial cannabis will be cultivated using hydroponic methodologies. The proposed indoor cultivation of commercial cannabis is occurring and is an existing operation on the property. A permitted well is the irrigation water source and the applicant has a total of 22,000 gallons of hard tank water storage on site. Plants will be dried, cured, and stored in the drying room on-site, and processing will occur off-site with a third party licensed processor. The applicant estimates two employees throughout the year and up to eight employees during at peak operations. The power source is PG&E, and the applicant has enrolled in the Solar Choice Program to meet the 100 percent renewable power source requirement for indoor cultivation. An existing generator will be used only on an emergency basis during power outages. The applicant has enrolled with the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board Cannabis Waste Discharge Regulatory Program as a Tier 1 discharger. The Zone Reclassification to change the principal zoning of the property from Unclassified (U) to Agricultural General (AG) must be approved by the Board of Supervisors before the Special Permit for indoor cannabis cultivation is effective because indoor cannabis cultivation is allowed on properties zoned AG, but is only allowed in the Unclassified zoning district where the subject property is developed with an industrial use [Reference Humboldt County Code Section 314-55.4.8.3. The subject parcel is not developed with an industrial use.
Recommendation
Staff Recommendation for Special Permit: Find the Special Permit to be Categorically Exempt from pursuant to Sections 15301 and 15303, of the State CEQA Guidelines, make all of the required findings for approval of the Special Permit based on evidence in the staff report and any public testimony, and adopt Resolution No. 1 approving the proposed Proxima Investments, LLC Special Permit subject to the recommended conditions and contingent upon the Board of Supervisors approval of the of the Zone Reclassification.
Staff Recommendation for Zone Reclassification: Move to recommend that the Board of Supervisors adopt the Addendum to the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Humboldt County General Plan, State Clearinghouse No. 2007012089, adopted by the Board of Supervisors on October 23, 2017, in accordance with Section 15164 of the State CEQA Guidelines, and find there is no substantial evidence that the proposed Zone Reclassification will have a significant effect on the environment, and make all of the required findings, based on evidence in the staff report and public testimony, and approve the Summit West Property Management Zone Reclassification application subject to the approved conditions by adopting Resolution No. 2.