To: Planning Commission
From: Planning and Building Department
Agenda Section: Public Hearing
SUBJECT:
title
Hollingshead Conditional Use Permit
Assessor Parcel Numbers (APN) 206-251-028
Record No.: PLN-2026-19550
Carlotta Area
A Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for the operation of a firewood cutting business including handyman services. The firewood cutting use is considered a “Timber Products Processing Plant”, which is a conditionally permitted use. Handyman services are a cottage industry which is principally permitted on the property. The business will be operated by the owner with no on-site employees. The parcel is developed with a single-family residence and detached garage. It is served with on-site water (well) and an on-site wastewater treatment system.
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Planning Commission:
1. Adopt the resolution, (Attachment 1) which does the following:
a. Finds the project exempt from further environmental review pursuant to Section 15301 Existing Structures of CEQA Guidelines, and that there is no substantial evidence that the project will have a significant effect on the environment; and
b. Finds the proposed project complies with the General Plan and Zoning Ordinance; and
c. Approves the Conditional Use Permit subject to the conditions of approval (Attachment 1A).
Body
DISCUSSION:
Project Location: The project site is located in the Carlotta area, on the southwest side of State Highway 36, approximately 900 feet southeast of the intersection of Love Lee Lane and State Highway 36, on the property known as 7586 State Highway 36.
Present General Plan Land Use Designation: Residential Estates 2.5-5 acres (RE 2.5-5) Carlotta/Hydesville Community Panning Area, 2.5-5 acres per unit, Slope Stability: Low Instability (1).
Present Zoning: Agriculture General (AG)
Environmental Review: Project is categorically exempt from environmental review per Section 15301 Existing Structures of CEQA Guidelines.
State Appeal: Project is NOT appealable to the California Coastal Commission.
Major Concerns: Noise
Monitoring Required: None.
Executive Summary: A Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for the operation of a firewood cutting business. The use is considered a “Timber Products Processing Plant”, which is a conditionally permitted use. The business will be operated by the owner with no on-site employees. The parcel is developed with a single-family residence and detached garage. It is served with on-site water (well) and an on-site wastewater treatment system. The site is also utilized as the base of operations for handyman services, which is principally permitted on the property as a cottage industry.
Whole logs are delivered to the site once per year by way of a dump truck of logging truck, and pre-cut round would be delivered to the site by pick-up truck and trailers intermittently throughout the year. Equipment utilized on the site are primarily wood splitters and chainsaws, which are operated in the center of the property approximately 75-100 feet from the nearest property lines. Logs stacked wood and wood scraps are stored on the perimeter of the property and proposed to maintain setbacks of 5 feet on the sides (east and west) and 20 feet on the rear (south). According to the operations plan the business is operated Monday through Saturday from 8am to 6pm. The recommended conditions of approval would limit hours of operation to daylight hours, and wood splitting and cutting to the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday (COA B2).
Biological Resources: No new development is proposed for this project. According to the California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB), the subject parcel is in an area known habitat suitable for the foothill yellow-legged frog and the bank shallow, primarily due to the area’s location close to the confluence of Fiedler and Cummings Creek and the Van Duzen River, though the subject parcel is outside of all Streamside Management Areas. The nearest known spotted owl sighting occurred in 2018 in which the activity center was located approximately 0.44 miles from the site; however, this activity center is located on the opposite side of Highway 36, which is a heavily trafficked state highway. Noise from the operation was measured (during wood processing) as being below the noise of traffic at the roadway.
According to the applicant, the chainsaws used by the operation are roughly rated at 105 dBA.
A noise review was taken on Monday July 13, 2026, at 10am during regular operations of the gas-powered equipment which included the use of the log splitter, wood conveyer and Stihl cutter’s saw. While measuring the decibels from the equipment at a 10-foot distance from the equipment, County Staff recorded decibel readings which ranged between 76.2-96.8 decibel level coming for the equipment. Multiple noise samples were taken over a 4-minute period at this location utilizing a calibrated Reed R8050 Sound Level Meter. Noise levels were also taken from several locations along the property lines including the north, south, east and west corners, as well as the centerline of each property line. Ambient noise readings were also taken along Hwy 36 and the driveway entrance to the parcel. Results of sound tests can be found in Attachment 2.
The highest decibel reading taken at a property line (Site F, Attachment 2) was 79.9 dBA. All other sound levels were lower by at least 10 decibels. This noise level is consistent with the short-term noise standards of the Humboldt County General Plan Noise Element, which establishes a daytime maximum noise level of 80 decibels at property lines in AG zones (Figure 1). The subject property is zoned AG and adjacent properties are either zoned AG or AE.
Figure 1
Additional guidance in the Noise Element of the General Plan includes noise compatibility standards based on land use rather than zoning. These standards set a limit of 60 decibels as being the upper limit of normally acceptable noise levels for single family residential uses to be exposed to. The nearest residences to the wood processing area are approximately 100 feet, 180 feet and 220 feet. Based on the measured noise levels at the adjacent property lines, the noise at these residences should be at or below the 60 decibel level of “normally acceptable” (Figure 2). Recommended conditions of approval would also limit the hours of the wood processing (splitting and cutting) to 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Based on public and applicant testimony the Commission could choose to relax restrictions or to further restrict the operation.
Figure 2
Access: The property is accessed via a private driveway which connects to State Highway 36.
Tribal Consultation: The project is within the historic aboriginal territory of the Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria and the Wiyot Tribe. The project was referred to the Northwest Information Center at Sonoma State and Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (THPOs) of the Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria and the Wiyot Tribe. The NWIC and Bear River Band responded requesting the standard inadvertent discovery protocol has been incorporated into the project as a condition of approval.
Environmental Review: Project is categorically exempt from environmental review per Section 15301 Existing Structures of CEQA Guidelines. The operation will take place within the curtilage of an existing residence and no new development is proposed.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The project was referred to responsible agencies and all responding agencies have either responded with no comment or recommended approval or conditional approval. (Attachment 3). The Division of Environmental Health commented that California Health and Safety Code requires any business that contains on site more than 55 gallons, 500 pounds, or 200 cubic feet of a hazardous material, or generates hazardous waste as part of their business activity, to report these activities. It is not expected that these amounts of hazardous materials will be involved in the operation however this has been added as an ongoing condition of approval.
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. The Planning Commission could elect to add or delete other conditions of approval. The Planning Commission could deny the project if unable to make all the required findings. Staff have concluded the required findings in support of the proposal can be made. Consequently, staff does not recommend further consideration of these alternatives.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Draft Resolution
A. Conditions of Approval
B. Operations Plan
C. Site Plan
2. Decibel Readings and Locations
3. Referral Agency Comments and Recommendations
Applicant:
Harlan Hollingshead
7586 State Highway
Carlotta, CA 95528
Owner: Same as Applicant
Agent:
DJ Cleek,
455 N Fortuna Blvd.
Fortuna, CA 95540
Please contact Michael Kein, Associate Planner, at MKein2@co.humboldt.ca.us or 707-268-3739 if you have questions about this item.