Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
The Fortuna City Council on Wednesday directed staff to draft an ordinance barring commercial marijuana businesses, banning outdoor cannabis grows and requiring renters to get property owner approval for personal use grows within city limits.
"I want to make it miserable for someone to grow marijuana in this town," Councilman Dean Glaser said as meeting attendees applauded and cheered.
Nearly 100 people showed up to the council's special meeting workshop about state and local marijuana regulations. Most – almost all – public commenters pleaded with the council to not allow any marijuana business activities within the city.
After it's drafted, the ordinance will come back to the council during a regular meeting for more public comment and a council vote.
Fortuna Police Department Chief Bill Dobberstein said current city law doesn't allow any commercial marijuana activities in city limits but local jurisdictions can't outlaw personal indoor growing of up to six plants at a time, so the city ordinance must change.
"Staff recommends that the council provide direction relating to updating Fortuna's marijuana ordinance, and if the council wants to consider expanding any activities beyond the minimum required by state law," Dobberstein said.
Mayor Sue Long urged people who wanted to speak to not repeat the sentiments of previous comments because of the number of people who spoke against permitted marijuana cultivation operations on county agricultural land on the outskirts of Fortuna city limits.
One of the contentious sites is on a 17-acre parcel on Nelson Lane. The plans are to have up to 50,000 square feet of cannabis cultivation with 5,000-square feet of processing space.
The Nelson-Hillside Association co-chair Bill Thorington spoke against what he called a "mega cannabis grow" that borders where he lives.
"Essentially, the parcel is an island of county land in the middle of a quiet residential area," he said.
The Nelson Lane parcel is bordered on three sides by Fortuna city limits and is surrounded by agriculturally zoned land mainly being used for residences, according to three permits filed with the Humboldt County Planning Department.
"The NHA opposes the permit on many points," Thorington said.
Another property numerous people spoke out against is on Pampas Lane off Loop Road.
"Please don't do it next to us," said one Fortuna resident who lives near the Pampas grow. "Let other places have the pot businesses, we do not need it."
Humboldt County 2nd District Supervisor Estelle Fennell attended the meeting and explained why the county can't tweak the county's marijuana laws right now to address some of the concerns brought up by the community.
"As most of the people in the room tonight, I'm very aware of the impact of the area surrounding Fortuna in regards to zoning," she said. "When we put the ordinance in place we designed it as a highly restrictive environmental document."
During the process the Humboldt Mendocino Marijuana Advocacy Project filed a suit against the county, and as part of the settlement the county agreed to stop accepting permits at the end of 2016 and to not change the ordinance while an environmental impact report is underway, Fennell said.
"That should be done in the fall hopefully. After that's done, we can make any changes within reason," she said.
Humboldt County 1st District Supervisor Rex Bohn also attended the meeting and explained why these issues may have arisen.
"We probably blew it on this," he said. "We didn't look at the interface (between city and county), we were looking at the ordinance.
"Is that something we can fix for the existing one? I don't know," he added. "I don't think we can put the genie back in the bottle on that one."
After most of the discussion, Long asked for a show of hands if people in the crowd wanted dispensaries, other commercial cannabis activities or outdoor grows in city limits. Not one hand was raised.
She added that the council in the future may return to amend the ordinance.
"Our ordinances can be changed," Long said, "but at this point, we're not seeing a huge benefit."
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Fortuna Says 'No' To Commercial Marijuana In City Limits
Author: Hunter Cresswell
Contact: 707-441-0500
Photo Credit: Hunter Cresswell
Website: Times-Standard
"I want to make it miserable for someone to grow marijuana in this town," Councilman Dean Glaser said as meeting attendees applauded and cheered.
Nearly 100 people showed up to the council's special meeting workshop about state and local marijuana regulations. Most – almost all – public commenters pleaded with the council to not allow any marijuana business activities within the city.
After it's drafted, the ordinance will come back to the council during a regular meeting for more public comment and a council vote.
Fortuna Police Department Chief Bill Dobberstein said current city law doesn't allow any commercial marijuana activities in city limits but local jurisdictions can't outlaw personal indoor growing of up to six plants at a time, so the city ordinance must change.
"Staff recommends that the council provide direction relating to updating Fortuna's marijuana ordinance, and if the council wants to consider expanding any activities beyond the minimum required by state law," Dobberstein said.
Mayor Sue Long urged people who wanted to speak to not repeat the sentiments of previous comments because of the number of people who spoke against permitted marijuana cultivation operations on county agricultural land on the outskirts of Fortuna city limits.
One of the contentious sites is on a 17-acre parcel on Nelson Lane. The plans are to have up to 50,000 square feet of cannabis cultivation with 5,000-square feet of processing space.
The Nelson-Hillside Association co-chair Bill Thorington spoke against what he called a "mega cannabis grow" that borders where he lives.
"Essentially, the parcel is an island of county land in the middle of a quiet residential area," he said.
The Nelson Lane parcel is bordered on three sides by Fortuna city limits and is surrounded by agriculturally zoned land mainly being used for residences, according to three permits filed with the Humboldt County Planning Department.
"The NHA opposes the permit on many points," Thorington said.
Another property numerous people spoke out against is on Pampas Lane off Loop Road.
"Please don't do it next to us," said one Fortuna resident who lives near the Pampas grow. "Let other places have the pot businesses, we do not need it."
Humboldt County 2nd District Supervisor Estelle Fennell attended the meeting and explained why the county can't tweak the county's marijuana laws right now to address some of the concerns brought up by the community.
"As most of the people in the room tonight, I'm very aware of the impact of the area surrounding Fortuna in regards to zoning," she said. "When we put the ordinance in place we designed it as a highly restrictive environmental document."
During the process the Humboldt Mendocino Marijuana Advocacy Project filed a suit against the county, and as part of the settlement the county agreed to stop accepting permits at the end of 2016 and to not change the ordinance while an environmental impact report is underway, Fennell said.
"That should be done in the fall hopefully. After that's done, we can make any changes within reason," she said.
Humboldt County 1st District Supervisor Rex Bohn also attended the meeting and explained why these issues may have arisen.
"We probably blew it on this," he said. "We didn't look at the interface (between city and county), we were looking at the ordinance.
"Is that something we can fix for the existing one? I don't know," he added. "I don't think we can put the genie back in the bottle on that one."
After most of the discussion, Long asked for a show of hands if people in the crowd wanted dispensaries, other commercial cannabis activities or outdoor grows in city limits. Not one hand was raised.
She added that the council in the future may return to amend the ordinance.
"Our ordinances can be changed," Long said, "but at this point, we're not seeing a huge benefit."
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Fortuna Says 'No' To Commercial Marijuana In City Limits
Author: Hunter Cresswell
Contact: 707-441-0500
Photo Credit: Hunter Cresswell
Website: Times-Standard
