Planning Commission hears from the public

Majority of letter writers oppose Phase Three provisions

UKIAH >> March 19, the Mendocino County Planning Commission reviewed Phase Three Commercial Cannabis Activity Ordinance and, after receiving 407 letters (98 percent of which were against the provisions of the ordinance), the commissioners did not oppose the discretionary use permit system, leaving permitting to the discretion of the Planning Department; did not object to passing the proposed ordinance without environmental review, did not oppose the opening of rangelands to new cultivation permits and did not fully oppose the 10 percent provision.

The commissioners did support the expansion of cultivation site sizes and allowed for the possibility of farm tours, sales, consumption and events at every cultivation site.

Although there were some duplicate letters and a handful of letters in support including Flow Kana, Cannacraft, Leaf Holdings and Henry’s Original, the overwhelming majority, including the following, opposed the new ordinance: The Mendocino County Farm Bureau, the Sierra Club, former Sheriff Tom Allman, Sheriff Matt Kendall, Ukiah Daily Journal Editor KC Meadows, Mendocino Observer Editor Jim Shields, the Round Valley County Water District, the Covelo Community Services District, the Willits Environmental Center, the Covelo Cannabis Advocacy Group, the Mendocino Cannabis Alliance and the Laytonville Area Municipal Advisory Council.

Following are excerpts from some of the letters; all of the letters are available for reading on the Mendocino County Planning Commission’s website:

Greenfire Law, legal counsel to the Willits Environmental Center, states that “requiring a separate CEQA review for each new site, as well as for all Phase One applicants, will create an impossible burden for small commercial applicants as well as overworked staff and under-resourced regulators and law enforcement. Gridlock is ensured.”