To the Editor:
In early June the Board of Supervisors (BOS) approved a “Phase 3” Cannabis Ordinance on a 4-1 vote, formally ratified on June 22. John Haschak was the sole NO vote. This culminated several all-day hearings, back and forth to the Planning Commission, and an unprecedented over 500 public comments. The BOS rushed to finalize this ordinance before July 1 to utilize a temporary State exemption to the requirement for an Environmental Impact Report (EIR).
Among the 500 commenters, the vast majority opposed key provisions in the new ordinance. A major objection is allowing up to 10 percent of property acreage (for parcels over 10 acres) to be developed for cannabis growing. This includes rural residential, ag, and rangeland zoning districts – tens of thousands of acres of the County – though there are some added restrictions on the rangeland areas. Most permits would require a minor or major use permit.
Two groups have launched referendums to overturn either the whole Phase 3 ordinance or just the 10 percent provision. Either referendum would require approx. 4,000 signatures within 30 days after the June 22 adoption date. If qualified, such referenda would then go to the BOS which can either adopt one or both of them OR can schedule a special election to be brought to the voters. It’s possible both referenda could be approved (over 50 percent voting yes); so far the County has given no guidance on what would happen in that case.
The two groups call themselves “Small is Beautiful” to repeal just the 10 percent provision; and “The People’s Referendum to Save our Water, Wildlife & Way of Life” to repeal the whole ordinance. In brief, the former group is concerned that throwing out Phase 3 would make getting legal permits going forward very difficult. Some also prefer a 1-acre cap (allowed with site-specific EIR under the new Phase 3) rather than the current limit of ¼ acre on grows (expandable to 1 acre only after a county-wide EIR).
The ‘total repeal’ group feels that an EIR is essential to understanding the impacts before any major expansion of cannabis grows, in acreage and through new permits in rural zoning districts where it is currently prohibited. Without analysis or EIR, they argue, the County has no idea how many acres of grows they’re talking about, nor how much water those grows would be pumping from our aquifers (not to mention impacts on roads, wildlife corridors, etc.). Based on John Haschak’s extensive work with involved agencies, they believe that existing small-scale operations CAN be successfully permitted – that the County has (intentionally or incompetently) held these ‘heritage’ growers hostage for years with its failures to process permits or to enforce.
Already, we are seeing ‘small’ grows, legal and illegal, proliferating at an alarming rate, people’s wells running dry, hoop houses, lights, roads over-used, land prices sky-rocketing, etc. Phase 3 seems likely to exacerbate these problems!
Bottom line: BOTH referenda would be an improvement over the BOS action, so feel free to sign both if you wish. If they both end up on a ballot, you can also choose to vote YES on both. But I personally strongly prefer repealing the ordinance so we can have a proper EIR. This would stop all expansion until & unless we know the consequences and enforce the rules! I believe rejecting the BOS phase 3 ordinance is the appropriate remedy. Then all of us can fight together for solutions going forward, including legalizing our responsible heritage growers.
To volunteer for the “People’s” (total repeal) petition, contact katem@mcn.org; for the “Small” (No on 10%) petition, contact charlessargenti@gmail.com.
-Madge Strong, Willits