Sonoma County zoning officers gave a massive cannabis-growing farm deliberate for west Petaluma the green light Thursday night.
Despite full-of-life competition from buddies, Petaluma Hills Farm’s idea to domesticate one acre of marijuana on rural assets at 334 Purvine Road that was once a chook ranch became unanimously permitted by the county Board of Zoning Adjustments.
It’s the first large hashish operation county officials have accepted because they started out taking packages years ago for such pot operations. The one-acre tract, unique for the hashish farm — the biggest allowed by using the county — sits on 37 acres belonging to different agriculture operations and a single-family home.
Despite the zoning board’s approval, the struggle is not over yet. Opponents of the pot farm say it’s going to produce a strong smell in the rural community of Petaluma and will deliver crime and public safety concerns. Opponents have 10 days to appeal the board’s decision, which would pressure the county supervisors to make the last ruling on the suggestion.
“I desire they keep in mind that this selection, the county has spoken, and we are proper operators,” said Sam Magruder, one of the owners of Petaluma Hills Farm and the leader running officer of the cannabis enterprise. “We’re satisfied to look at a unanimous vote. I think that’s a terrific bellwether for the cannabis enterprise in Sonoma County.”
The pot-growing operation’s supporters say the location is already domestic to other ag businesses, with dairy and duck farms that produce strong odors. During a six-hour zoning board meeting Thursday night that became contentious, they confirmed the board a letter written by Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick commending the farm’s safety plan.
“I should admit that I turned into inspired by the number of deliberate plans and attention to detail that Mr. Magruder had put into his operational security plan,” Essick wrote. “I take into account that for some, cannabis operations in Sonoma County continue to elevate local opposition; however, after reviewing Petaluma HillFarm’s protection plan, I do not have any objections to their inspiration from a security/public protection point of view.”
Since the west Petaluma cannabis farm changed into the first proposed 22 months ago, it has confronted chronic competition from friends and cannabis opponents across the county, who formed the organization “No Pot on Purvine.” The organization has sued the farm’s operators in an attempt to stop their deliberate large-scale development operation.
Autumn Condit, who lives on Purvine Road near the farm, said elevated visitors had disrupted her own family’s lives.
“The last year has been absolute hell,” she stated.
Britt Jensen, who lives on the farm, objected to the hashish enterprise in a residential region.
“I’m not towards cannabis, but I have to say in my heart I sense it’s wrong that the ordinance has allowed an industrial hashish property after my residence,” she stated.
Not all people who live near the pot farm oppose it. Helena Martin, who lives on Spring Hill Road, intersects with Purvine, said she frequently sees illegal drug dealers in the area who create a much greater chance than a felony hashish farm might.
“As ways as odor, … People don’t picnic on Purvine Road because between the duck farm and the cows, there are quite a few smells,” she stated.
Outside of warehouses, the county limits marijuana farms to at least one acre.
Currently, county officers have authorized doors for cannabis cultivation on approximately 20 acres overall. A little greater than 15 acres island on which marijuana farmers had been given transient permission to operate through a program called “penalty alleviation,” created to inspire present growers to legitimize their operations.
The remaining five acres are occupied using 26 small pot farms, no larger than 10,000 square feet. Each was approved through the county’s agricultural department in a simpler process that did not require public listening, said Tim Ricard, the county’s cannabis software manager.
