LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Planning Commission this week will continue its consideration of a cannabis project near Lakeport that it held over from last month’s meeting due to concerns about unresolved state violations.
The discussion regarding the project proposed by Joseph Gustafson of Gustafson Farms LLC will be held during the commission’s regular meeting beginning at 9 a.m. Thursday, May 27, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
To participate in real-time, join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link.
The webinar ID is 920 6904 9979, the passcode is 101201.
The commission is scheduled to hear Gustafson’s request for a major use permit at 9:20 a.m.
Gustafson is seeking the permit for property at 4440, 4460, 4520 and 4550 George Road, not far from Lampson field and next to numerous homes.
His project is for 111,620 square feet of canopy area, including 89,620 square feet of outdoor growing area for which the agriculture commissioner and the Lake County Farm Bureau said he never should have received approval to do.
Gustafson also plans to have a total of 237,220 square feet of cultivation area and facilities including 50,000 square feet processing facility, 24,000 square feet of greenhouse for nursery, 50,000 square feet for drying facility, three storage sheds, and 23,000 square feet of greenhouse structures for mixed-light canopy.
At the commission’s April 22 hearing, neighbors raised numerous issues with Gustafson’s operations so far, among them, excessive traffic around the clock on George Road, which is a county-maintained dead-end road. That traffic also has led to dust and garbage issues.
Residents spoke about their concerns about the traffic impacts in their neighborhood, where people like to walk and children play and ride their bikes, and faulted him with not following the rules.
The Lake County Chamber of Commerce submitted a letter saying it opposes the project. Brenna Sullivan of the Lake County Farm Bureau said the project shouldn’t be allowed as proposed.
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Hajik said Gustafson should not have received early activation approval from the county last year for his project, noting it’s within the farmland protection zone and therefore was required to be an indoor, not an outdoor, grow.
Hajik said Gustafson holds no state CalCannabis licensing and reported the state water board also had problems with the operation. He also raised issues with Gustafson’s performance in the county’s hemp program in 2019, when low-grade cannabis — not hemp — was found during testing at a Lower Lake site run by Gustafson.
In response to Hajik’s comments last month, Gustafson told Lake County News, “All genetics of hemp can spike above the limit of THC and you never know what a genetic will do until grown.”
The issue for the commission came down to Gustafson having outstanding violations at that point on his property with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Rather than deny the project, the commission agreed to hold off on a decision until this month’s meeting in order to let Gustafson try to fully resolve the matters.
Gustafson told Lake County News that he had violations for undersized culverts on his property. He said those violations have now been addressed and he has a state permit for work.
He said the property is also a vineyard which has 30 acres of grapes and 40 acres of vines he plans to replant.
“Ultimately I plan to run a successful operation that boosts the local economy and try to mimic my neighbor Kendall Jackson with beautiful rows of grapes and an amazing processing center,” he said.
Other items on the commission’s agenda are as follows:
9:05 a.m.: Public hearing, major use permit (UP 20-85). Applicant/owner: Kushmen & Bakefield Enterprises Inc. Proposed project: Applicant is applying for one Type 6 “Non-Volatile Cannabis Manufacturing License” and one Type 11 “Cannabis Distributor License” to occur within an existing 11,000 square foot building. Location: 11270 Clayton Creek Road, Lower Lake; APN: 049-300-15. Environmental Evaluation: Categorical exemption (CE 21-12).
9:10 a.m.: Public hearing, major use permit (UP 19-32). Applicant/owner: Patrick Smythe. Proposed project: Applicant is applying for a total of 41,796 square feet canopy (32,076 square feet of outdoor cultivation and 9,720 square feet of mixed-light cultivation) area within a total of 44,121 square feet of cultivation area and facilities including three 30-foot by 108-foot greenhouses, one 1,800 square foot processing facility, one 525 square foot, one 1,225 square foot concrete pad to hold to hold nine 1,500-gallon water storage tanks and three 3,500-gallon water storage tanks. Location: 19697 and 19713 East Road, Lower Lake; APNs: 012-049-17 and 012-049-18.
9:15 a.m.: Public hearing to consider rezone (RZ 20-02) and general plan amendment (GPAP 20-02). Applicant/owner: Greg Hanson. Proposed project: The applicant is requesting a split rezone of approximately +/- 7 acres from “A” Agriculture to “A-M2” Agriculture-Heavy Industrial, and general plan amendment from “A” Agriculture” to “A-I” Agriculture-Industrial of undeveloped land on two parcels under one legal lot. Location: 3555 and 3445 Big Valley Road, Kelseyville,; APNs: 008-038-17 and 008-038-44. Environmental evaluation: Negative declaration (IS 20-91).
9:25 a.m. Public hearing to consider a major use permit (UP 19-13) to consider approval of a commercial cannabis cultivation project on a 230-plus acre property, and consideration of adopting a mitigated negative declaration (IS 19-25). Applicant/owner: Tiffany Devitt. Proposed project: Twelve A-Type 3 medium outdoor cannabis cultivation licenses requesting 650,000 square feet of cannabis cultivation area and one A-Type 13 self-distribution license. Location: 2800 Manning Road, Lakeport; APN: 008-009-03. Environmental evaluation: Mitigated negative declaration.
9:30 a.m. Public Hearing to consider a major use permit (UP 19-15) to consider approval of a commercial cannabis cultivation project on a 41-plus acre property, and consideration of adopting a mitigated negative declaration (IS 19-27). Applicant/owner: Legendary Farms LLC. Proposed project: One A-Type 3 medium outdoor cannabis cultivation licenses requesting 43,560 square feet of cannabis canopy area and one A-Type 13 self-distribution license. Location: 2290 Soda Bay Road, Lakeport; APN: 008-010-29. Environmental evaluation: Mitigated negative declaration.
9:35 a.m. Public Hearing to consider a major use permit (UP 20-01) to consider approval of a commercial cannabis cultivation project on a 20-plus acre property, and consideration of adopting a mitigated negative declaration (IS 20-01). Applicant/owner: Stella Green Farms LLC. Proposed project: One A-Type 3 medium outdoor cannabis cultivation licenses requesting 43,560 square feet of cannabis canopy area and one A-Type 13 self-distribution license. Location: 5808 Highland Springs Road, Lakeport; APN: 008-044-24. Environmental evaluation: Mitigated negative declaration.
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