Proposed changes are not helping the small grower

Commissioner, After listening to the Planning Commission meeting on 4/15 and reading the article in today’s PD, I am puzzled that you are worried about and are championing the small grower and think the amendments will help them. Don’t you know that Andrew Smith can already approve up to 10,000 square feet of cannabis cultivation with a ministerial permit?

Not only that Andrew can approve multiple permits on the same parcel as long as they are filed by separate entities and do not exceed one acre which is the maximum allowed under the current ordinance. Attached is a picture of a parcel on Wellspring Road in Bennett Valley. The owner is using a legal loophole whereby he has obtained five ministerial permits under different names and by-passed the necessity for an environmental review which is required for an application for one acre of grow.

Attached is a picture of the parcel on Wellspring Road in Bennett Valley.

5 ministerial permits.  4 for 10,000 sq ft and a 5th for 3,000 or whatever brings it to an acre.  Can’t miss the chance of making another dime!

Owner’s name is Anatoliy Kreshchenovskiy.

Letting them piecemeal this into 5 permits to avoid environmental review seems to be the County’s policy? This is not helping the small grower.

SOSN Member