Outside Interests buying up rural residential land for pot farming

Issues and Concerns related to cannabis in residential areas

  1. Operation will put an unfair burden on us by reducing our property values.
  2. Significant fire hazard, lack of hydrants, emergency access
  3. Intrusive, and inappropriate security – guards, fencing, dogs, lighting, cameras, alarms
  4. Security – Large amounts of cash on site in addition to high value cannabis
  5. Law enforcement has reporting seeing increasing numbers of break ins and robberies
  6. 24 hour operations
  7. Emergency services access
  8. Noise from massive air conditioning, generators and cooling systems for lighting
  9. Lighting pollution
  10. Odor from huge outdoor grow can be substantial and irritating for months
  11. Massive amounts of electricity required, transformer blow outs
  12. Traffic impact on small roads
  13. Inadequate Utility Services – high energy usage
  14. Water use and impact on neighboring wells. The drought, remember that?
  15. Impact on residential character of the historic area
  16. Damage to health and quality of life by pesticides and fertilizers

Policy Concerns and Suggestions:

These are the County-wide policy changes that we stand for

  1. Commercial cannabis growing, production, transport should be limited to larger ag parcels in more industrial farming setting where lighting, security, noise can be accommodated and it should not be allowed with 5000 feet of a residential parcel.
  2. The overall densities of these operations should be limited to an appropriate number which we consider to be a small number We don’t need to become a pot production capital just because it is now legal.
  3. Issue an immediate moratorium on ministerial permits for commercial cannabis grows on non-conforming DA parcels of less than 20 acres to enable further review, including notice to surrounding neighbors and an opportunity for them to voice their concerns and have appropriate action taken.
  4. Exclusion Zones – Finalize process for designation, application
  5. Notification process
  6. For non-conforming DA areas, revise the permit process so that they would be discretionary, not ministerial.
  7. Revise the regulations to establish a minimum buffer zone of 5,000 linear ft, between all commercial grows and any residential areas, including non-conforming DA neighborhoods.
  8. Revise regulations to require that all commercial cannabis grows are subject to CEQA review.
  9. Revise regulations for commercial cannabis permits to include limitations on saturation of an area, and cumulatively consider the impacts.
  10. In the case of split zoned Properties including an RR or AR designation, the RR or AR should take precedence when applying for cannabis permits

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Sonoma County Residents

Sonoma County Residents
DID YOU KNOW?

Due to missteps in the original planning, and permitting process. Sonoma County is now in the position of having large scale commercial cannabis cultivation operations in residential neighborhoods.

When formulating the new rules, Sonoma County specifically intended to exclude cannabis operations from residential areas. Guess what, they didn’t, oops Do over needed.

How would you like a Pot Farm smack in the middle of your neighborhood, where your kids play and ride their bikes and where you walk your dog and where you enjoy the quiet peaceful rural lifestyle you likely worked your whole life to have?

Before you answer, keep in mind that 8 out of the last 10 murders in Sonoma County took place at pot operations…

Problems cited with Cannabis Operations in residential areas:

  • Lowered property values
  • Safety. the fear of parents for their children and restricted outdoor play for children because of vicious dogs being used to protect grows
  • Noise due to massive amounts of air conditioning and generators and cooling systems for lighting
  • Massive amounts of water and electricity required, transformer blow outs, infrastructure load
  • Heavy vehicle traffic on residential streets
  • Response considerations for fire fighters
  • Occupational hazards
  • Taxing police and fire departments, sometimes rural volunteer departments
  • The lack of right to be notified before a grower moves next door
  • The destruction of health and quality of life by pesticides and chemical fertilizers used in a residential neighborhood.

See BLOG page for latest comments and articles

See Resources page for relevant links

Please visit our sister site – sosneighborhoods.com for latest, most comprehensive coverage of this topic.