Planning Commission

825 Fifth Street Board of Supervisors Chambers Eureka, California

Agenda — 19 items

1. 1 The County of Humboldt is committed to providing equal access to all county programs, services and activities through the provision of accommodations for individuals with qualified disabilities as required under the Americans with Disabilities Act. With 72 hours prior notice, a request for reasonable accommodation or modification can be made. Please contact the Clerk of the Board Office at 707-476-2390 or by email cob@co.humboldt.ca.us or the ADA Coordinator at 844-365-0352 or by email at ada@co.humboldt.ca.us.
2. 2 Please note: Those not able to attend the Planning Commission meeting in person will have the opportunity to provide public comment via Zoom; however, the County of Humboldt cannot guarantee that the Zoom system will be available for the entirety of every meeting. The only ways to guarantee that your comment is received and considered by the Planning Commission is to attend the meeting person or submit your comment in writing in advance of the meeting.
3. 3 HOW TO LISTEN OR WATCH THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING: 1. https://zoom.us/j/87544807065 Password: 200525 2. Call in via telephone at 346 248-7799, enter meeting id 875 4480 7065 Password: 200525 3. A live stream of the meeting can be found by using the following link: https://humboldt.legistar.com or by watching Access Humboldt on cable 1. In Person Public Comment: Any person may appear and present testimony for an item on this agenda at the hearing located in the Board of Supervisors' Chamber, Humboldt County Courthouse, 825 Fifth Street, Eureka, California. The Planning Commission needs 15 COPIES of any materials submitted at the meeting. 2. Zoom Public Comment: When the Planning Commission announce the agenda item that you wish to comment on, call the conference line, enter the Meeting ID and press star (*) 9 on your phone, this will raise your hand. You’ll continue to hear the Planning Commission meeting on the call. When it is your turn to speak, you’ll hear a prompt to unmute, press star (*) 6. Please turn off your TV or live stream to avoid delays. If you encounter any issues, please use the call-in option below. 3. Phone call using cellphone or landline: When the Planning Commission meeting begins, call in on the conference line. When the Planning Commission Chair starts to discuss the item you wish to comment on, Press *9 to raise your hand. When you are called upon to speak, you will be prompted to unmute, press *6 to unmute. You may access the live stream of the meeting by using the following link: https://humboldt.legistar.com SUBMITTING PUBLIC COMMENT PRIOR TO THE MEETING: Public comments may be submitted via email to Planningclerk@co.humboldt.ca.us. Please provide the project title, record or case number and date of the hearing. The deadline for submitting written comments is 12:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 19, 2025. After the deadline, written comments may be submitted to the commission in person during the meeting (15 copies). Comments can be found at the “Attachments” section of the “Meeting Details” link next to the posted Agenda at: https://humboldt.legistar.com and will be included with the administrative record. If you do not have access to email, contact the Planning Clerk at 707-267-9409. ▶ jump to 0:01
4. A. CALL TO ORDER / SALUTE TO FLAG ▶ jump to 3:05
5. B. COMMISSIONERS PRESENT ▶ jump to 3:32
6. C. AGENDA MODIFICATIONS ▶ jump to 4:01
7. D. PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS: ▶ jump to 6:13
8. E. CONSENT AGENDA ▶ jump to 7:35
9. 1. Humboldt Sanctuary Farm, LLC Conditional Use Permit Assessor’s Parcel Numbers: 221-071-020 Record Numbers: PLN-12990-CUP Salmon Creek Area A Conditional Use Permit for 28,500 square feet of existing outdoor commercial cannabis cultivation supported by a 1,900 square foot ancillary nursery. Estimated annual water usage is 300,000 gallons and is sourced from rainwater catchment. Water storage consists of an approximately 600,000-gallon pond and 9,900 gallons in tanks. Onsite processing is proposed, and electricity is provided by solar and generators. The project is conditioned to transition to renewable energy by January 1, 2026, reserving generator use for emergencies only. The project includes onsite relocation and restoration. 25-283 continued ▶ jump to 8:23
10. 2. Laurel Tree Charter School Coastal Development Permit Extension Assessor Parcel Numbers (APN) 511-401-039-000 Record No.: PLN-2023-18176 McKinleyville area A three-year extension to a previously approved Coastal Development Permit (PLN-2021-17206) to accommodate development of a school to be operated by Laurel Tree Charter School serving children from Kindergarten through High School. The CDP is not vested. No modifications to the project are proposed. If approved, the extension will expire on May 16, 2026. 25-252 approved ▶ jump to 8:50
11. 3. VB BTS II, LLC Conditional Use Permit Record No.: PLN-2023-18298 APN: 511-111-063 McKinleyville area A Conditional Use Permit for the construction of a new telecommunications facility consisting of an approximately 100-foot tall tower together with an equipment compound in a fenced 50’x50’ lease area. To help disguise the facility, the proposed tower includes stealthing designed to obscure the visibility of antennas and other equipment by making the structure look like an evergreen tree complete with faux branches on its “trunk”. The tower will be capable of hosting equipment from multiple different wireless carriers. Though not proposed at this time, a back-up generator may be installed in the future. An exception to the accessory structure height limit is requested. 25-286 approved as amended ▶ jump to 9:29
12. 11 CONSENT AGENDA approved as amended Pass ▶ jump to 7:35
13. 4. Grouse Mountain Green, LLC Conditional Use Permit and Special Permit Assessor Parcel Numbers (APN) 524-112-002-000 Record No.: PLN-11393-CUP Willow Creek area A Conditional Use Permit for 22,000 square feet of existing outdoor cannabis cultivation with 2,200 square feet of nursery space. Irrigation water is sourced from a rainwater catchment pond and two permitted wells. A 675,000-gallon pond and 28,000 gallons of hard-sided tanks store water for the project. Estimated annual irrigation water usage is 340,000 gallons. Drying and curing occurs onsite, with all other processing occurring offsite at a licensed facility. Power is provided by solar power and generators. The project is conditioned to transition to 100% renewable power by January 1, 2026, with generators reserved for emergencies only. The project includes a Special Permit for restoration in a streamside management area and a reduced setback to the Six Rivers National Forest. 25-289 approved as amended ▶ jump to 10:09
14. 5. Old Harris Farms LLC Conditional Use Permit Assessor Parcel Number (APN) 216-136-006 Record No.: PLN-12573-CUP Alderpoint area A Conditional Use Permit for 19,695 square feet of existing outdoor cannabis cultivation operation with 1,968 square feet of appurtenant nursery space. Irrigation water will be provided by a permitted well and a rainwater catchment pond. Cultivation water is stored in an existing pond (511,000 gallons), and hard tanks (23,750 gallons) for a total of 534,750 gallons. Annual cultivation water use is 186,000 gallons. Drying and curing will occur on-site, all other processing will occur off-site at a licensed processing facility. Electricity is provided by a gas generator, but the project will convert to renewable energy by January 1, 2026, reserving generators for emergency use only. The project includes a Special Permit for actions in a streamside management area. 25-290 approved ▶ jump to 13:22
15. F. ITEMS PULLED FROM CONSENT
16. G. REPORT FROM PLANNER ▶ jump to 13:32
17. H. PLANNING COMMISSION DISCUSSION ITEMS
18. I. ADJOURNMENT ▶ jump to 27:27
19. J. NEXT MEETINGS: March 20, 2025 6:00 p.m. Regular Meeting - Hybrid