SoHum Cannabis Nursery Gets Zoning and Setback Changes in Permit Approval

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Reflecting its value to the cannabis industry, a southern Humboldt cannabis nursery has gotten a permit that includes a zoning change and reduction of a streamside buffer. Approved at the February 19th Humboldt County Planning Commission meeting, the permit is for an existing nursery, which senior planner Steven Santos described as a little bit unusual. The 10,000 square foot Bryceland area operation is located near the intersection of Old Bryceland Road and Brycelyn Thorne Road. It began as a Bamboo Nursery in 2005 and converted to cannabis in 2012. It operated in compliance under an interim permit through late 2025, when the interim permitting program ended. Santos explained why the zoning change from a commercial to an agricultural category is within the public interest. [00:00:56] Speaker B: It is arguable in the that the project is within the public interest because a nursery it's okay for a nursery to operate on the site, a non cannabis nursery, so it makes sense to allow a cannabis nursery that's already operating to continue operating and there is a need for cannabis nurseries to support the local industry. There are other cannabis operations permitted cannabis operations in the vicinity and there would be no impacts on roads or adjoining parcels. [00:01:30] Speaker A: The nursery's driveway parking area and the footprint of an on site residence are within a 100 foot Streamside Management Area SMA as discussed by Santos. [00:01:43] Speaker B: Right now the site is not quite operating under compliance when it comes to the streamside management area because part of the driveway access and the the parking area which we you can see kind of flush to to the west side, are within the streamside management area and then the existing streamside management area also cuts through the residents and some of the curtilage of the residents. The gray line just to the east represents the recommended alteration of the streamside management area and so this would allow the parking area to be compliant and everything else to the west of that proposed gray line. This recommendation and the biological assessment has been reviewed by staff and it's been reviewed by California Department of Fish and Wildlife and both support this recommendation. It's consistent with the existing site conditions. [00:02:38] Speaker A: But the CDFW also requested a condition that's part of the permit to install a fence marking the revised sma. Santos said the fence will make sure that development and impacts in uses and operations aren't occurring within the management area. But applicant Michael Jacubow, doing business as plant Humboldt llc, said the fence requirement poses a massive problem as it would affect access and hamper turnarounds of vehicles larger than cars. He said the fence doesn't improve streamside management and that he could demonstrate that through a site visit. Reluctant to change a CDFW requested requirement, Commissioner Ivar Skavdal suggested an on site negotiation process. [00:03:29] Speaker C: I don't dispute anything that the applicant said as far as the constraint that it's probably going to put on his property or operation and I think condition already does say this, but maybe if we can make it more clear if the applicant, biologist and CDFW agree on the location of the fencing that that would be okay, at least as far as I'm concerned. So if the applicant's proposal to go out and walk around the site with actual with CDFW or their biologists and stake out the fence line and agree on that, that would be okay with me. [00:04:12] Speaker A: A motion to approve the permit included allowance for the fence to be reconfigured to the satisfaction of the biologist and cdfw. The permit approval passed unanimously. The on site residence also figures into the zoning change as it was built without a permit. Santos said one of the positive side effects of the zoning change is that it will be easier for the property owner to get that residence permitted in Eureka. For KMUD News, this is Daniel Mintz.