Front Page  »  

County board to settle Templeton cannabis cultivation dispute

February 25, 2019

By KAREN VELIE

A dispute over a proposed marijuana cultivation on York Mountain Road in Templeton is headed to the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors Tuesday. [Cal Coast Times]

In September, the county planning department approved a permit for a combination indoor and outdoor marijuana farm on a 77-acre lot west of Templeton. At that time, the application was for permits for two outdoor grows totaling three acres and multiple indoor grows totaling 22,000 square feet.

Shortly afterwards, neighbor Ian McPhee filed an appeal based on multiple concerns about water, smell, crime, traffic and possible contamination of a creek if the proposed cultivation was permitted to go though.

Neighbors have also voiced concerns about property values. Adjacent to the proposed grow, a 66 acre property was in escrow last year, but after discovering a pot farm was planned for next door, the buyer backed out, the proposed buyer said.

Because of a contingency not related to cannabis, the proposed buyer was able to cancel the escrow.

On Feb. 21, the Templeton Area Advisory Group voted unanimously, with one abstention, to recommend the county deny approval of the project because there is no plan to address neighborhood compatibility issues, a lack of adequate odor mitigation, changes to the view shed and the project’s impact on property values.

On behalf of her clients, Frank Ricigliano, Jim McAllister and Laura Gardner, Jamie Jones of Kirk Consulting sent out a request to have people send in letters of support.

“As a North County/SLO County resident in support of the industry and farming/property rights in general, we are asking you and any other supporters you may know for a letter of support for this project as it will likely set the stage for every cannabis project moving forward that happens to be heard by the SLO County Board of Supervisors,” Jones writes in her email.

The form letter has several inaccuracies including referring to the cannabis cultivation as an agricultural crop when by regulations it is a special use.

“I want to express my support for the proposed Medical Cannabis Farm located on York Mountain Road, Jones’ form letter says. “The York Mountain property is a 77-acre property zoned for agricultural uses. The project is an agricultural project and will grow a legal agricultural product. Please do not be swayed by a small vocal, distant minority who are intent on eliminating local agriculture and private property rights.”

Currently, there are three letters in support of the proposed cannabis cultivation and more than 80 letters in opposition listed on the county website.

San Luis Obispo County staff is recommending the supervisors reject the appeal, and vote to approve the project.


Loading...
Related:


6 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

In your argument, everyone is free to build or grow. Then if they rip out trees, destroy wild life or grow a crop that produces so much odor it causes trouble for people with asthma, go after them afterwards. The reason we have planning rules is to protect the community and neighbors.


-6

The land is already zoned for agriculture. Only large, monied winery corporations are allowed to take down trees.


The “odor” argument is also specious. BBQ smoke is offensive to vegans, the smell of pesticides sprayed on strawberries is injurious to people, as are cattle operations.


the reason “planning” exists in this case is to fleece people. Zoning laws are already in place.


14

Instead of everyone (certain elected officials and their owners) being against everyone else (marijuana farmers, their owners and their purchased elected officials) how about we try something radical and different?


How about allowing freedom? Why not let people who live on property zoned for AG grow whatever they want?


Then, if there’s a problem with smell, or some other horror, neighbors can document the problem and take the offender to court. What a novel concept!!! Instead of grandstanding about how horrible things will be if people grow marijuana on their private property, and ASSuming there will be problems, how about allowing for freedom and seeing if there will actually be problems?


This permit process is simply a tool to induce bribes and create work for attorneys and lobbiests. Such a policy favors rich, politically connected felons. Why do I say felons? Because bribing public officials is:


1. Illegal

2. necessary for business since MJ became “legal.”


Only felons will obtain permission to cultivate because by definition, only felons bribe officials. And don’t think for one second that massive amounts of money (it seems that way to us normal folks) won’t be used as contributions/bribes/etc.


Allow for anyone to get a cultivation permit. Charge a few hundred bucks. Then, if there’s an odor problem, or some other problem it can be worked out in court……like it would be for any other issue other than Pot growing.


This gets worse and worse as long as anti-pot people think government should regulate it and control it. That’s a recipe for corruption……as we can all clearly see.


Freedom has always been the answer.


14

Jamie Kirk, or Jamie Jones now that she married to Adam Hill’s best bud Tom Jones, was the Atascadero planner who set the stage for Kelly Gearhart to get away with not following city planning rules and for ripping off the public.


Now Jamie is working with every crook in the marijuana industry. Her buddies in the SLO planning department allow Jamie to twist the truth and the rules and push her projects through anyway. In this application, to exempt from CEQA, Jamie says there were 9,744 square feet of impervious area. After is listed as 14,400. In the next section, Jamie marks it will be a change of under 2,500 square feet of impervious area.


A standard type of lie Jamie is infamous for telling in order to promote less then adequate projects. Will the supervisor’s support Jamie’s dishonesty or will they support integrity and the public?


6

The Templeton group voted to approve several cannabis farms, this one is located on a winding narrow street with many neighbors and is a very bad fit. Adam Hill and Bruce Gibson do not care about the issues they want the corruption that comes with poorly regulated cannabis.


We will find out which of our supervisors care about their neighbors and which are bought and paid for by people in the pot industry. Residents from Nipomo to San Miguel will be watching this vote.


6

The most corrupt government in the world is going to determine who grows marijuana. Great


17