Planning Commission

825 Fifth Street Board of Supervisors Chambers Eureka, California

Agenda — 25 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 are 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, December 18, 2024. 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.
4. A. CALL TO ORDER / SALUTE TO FLAG ▶ jump to 0:57
5. B. COMMISSIONERS PRESENT ▶ jump to 1:22
6. C. AGENDA MODIFICATIONS ▶ jump to 1:48
7. D. PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS: ▶ jump to 2:49
8. E. CONSENT AGENDA ▶ jump to 4:52
9. 8 CONSENT AGENDA VOTE: approved Pass
10. 1. Review and approval of the November 21, 2024, Action Summary 24-1653 approved
11. 2. Humboldt Heritage Farm Management, LLC, Conditional Use Permit and Special Permit Assessor Parcel Number: 220-091-022-000 Record Number: PLN-12076-CUP Ettersburg area A Conditional Use Permit for 20,400 square feet (SF) of existing outdoor cultivation that is cultivated within thirty-two (32) hoop house style greenhouses utilizing light deprivation techniques and 1,791 SF of ancillary propagation. Irrigation water is sourced from a 300,000-gallon rainwater catchment pond and a spring diversion. Existing available water storage is 447,850 gallons in the pond and a series of hard-sided (metal and HDPE) tanks. Estimated annual water usage is 345,000 gallons. Drying and curing occurs onsite in a 1,300-square-foot dry shed and a two-story, 3,000 square-foot multi-use building. All other processing will occur off-site at a licensed processing or manufacturing facility, until such time a structure is permitted onsite. A maximum of six (6) people may be onsite during peak operations. Power is currently provided by solar and a generator, with a second generator utilized for backup; however, the applicant has long-term plans to convert to PG&E power by 2026. The proposed project also includes a Special Permit for development within the Streamside Management Area for continued use and maintenance of the point of diversion. 25-5 continued Pass ▶ jump to 6:00
12. 3. Mystic Mountain Farms, LLC, Conditional Use Permit Assessor Parcel Number 217-244-008 Record No.: PLN-12018-CUP Blocksburg area A Conditional Use Permit for 15,289 square feet (SF) of pre-existing outdoor cannabis cultivation. Of which, 6,000 SF will be grown within greenhouses utilizing light deprivation methods and 9,289 SF will be open-air cultivation. Water will be sourced from an existing groundwater well (DEH Permit # 18/19-1171). Annual water usage is estimated to be 124,870 gallons, or 8.2 gallons per square foot. Water storage presently consists of two 20,000 gallon water bladders and ten 5,000 gallon hard sided storage tanks, totaling 90,000 gallons of water storage capacity. The project is conditioned to remove existing water bladders. The project includes ancillary propagation. Drying and trimming will occur on-site within the existing drying structures and proposed commercial processing facility. During peak operations, up to three employees may be hired to conduct cultivation operations. Energy is presently sourced from generators. 25-4 approved as amended Pass ▶ jump to 14:55
13. 4. Organic Liberty CA, LLC Conditional Use Permit Modification, Special Permit, and Zoning Clearance Certificates Assessor Parcel Number: 524-091-009 and 524-101-025 (one separate legal parcel) Record Number: PLN-2024-19054 Willow Creek Area Organic Liberty CA, LLC operates a permitted outdoor cannabis cultivation operation located near the junction of Friday Ridge Road and California State Route 299, south/southeast of the community of Willow Creek. The existing project approval (PLN-12376-CUP) consists of four Conditional Use Permits (CUP16-656, CUP17-042, CUP17-043, and CUP17-044) that allow for ±3.3 acres (143,748 square feet) of outdoor full-sun cannabis cultivation. Organic Liberty CA, LLC proposes a modification to the approved permits to adjust the cultivation boundary and expand the cultivation area by ±0.7 acres (±4 acres total). As a result of the Project, cultivation at the facility would now comprise ±2.4 acres of outdoor full-sun cultivation in raised beds, ±0.7 acres (31,500 square feet) of outdoor light deprivation cultivation in hoop houses, and ±0.9 acres (37,900 square feet) of mixed-light cultivation in greenhouses. In addition, Organic Liberty CA, LLC requests Zoning Clearance Certificates for commercial cannabis nursery, cannabis processing, and cannabis distribution, and a Special Permit for non-flammable cannabis manufacturing, all within new steel buildings (±11,700 square feet). Water is sourced from three wells and 12 5,000-gallon rain catchment tanks. 2,264,664 gallons of water will be required each year for irrigation. 25-7 approved
14. F. PUBLIC HEARINGS ▶ jump to 5:00
15. G. ITEMS PULLED FROM CONSENT ▶ jump to 5:08
16. H. ADJOURN AS PLANNING COMMISSION ▶ jump to 15:13
17. I CONVENE AS BUILDING APPEALS BOARD ▶ jump to 15:19
18. J. BUILDING CODE APPEAL ▶ jump to 15:23
19. 1. The appeals filed by Lucas K. Bode and Katie Rockey challenging the Notice and Order of Substandard Housing and Order to Vacate (NOSSHOV) posted on the dwelling by the Humboldt County Building Department staff on October 17, 2024. The appellants dispute the findings that led to the designation of their property as substandard housing and order to vacate, seeking to overturn these determinations. 25-3 withdrawn ▶ jump to 15:42
20. K. ADJOURNMENT OF THE BUILDING APPEALS BOARD ▶ jump to 106:42
21. L. RECONVENE AS PLANNING COMMISSION ▶ jump to 106:56
22. N. REPORT FROM PLANNER ▶ jump to 106:58
23. O. PLANNING COMMISSION DISCUSSION ITEMS ▶ jump to 107:45
24. P. ADJOURNMENT ▶ jump to 110:56
25. Q. NEXT MEETINGS: January 16, 2025 6:00 p.m. Regular Meeting - Hybrid