Council approves amendment to Blaze Utopia development agreement, caps community benefit fee

Lake Elsinore — The City Council on Tuesday approved an amendment to the development agreement for Blaze Utopia, an existing cannabis business at 233 Minthorn St., capping the retail community benefit fee at $25 per square foot and reducing non-retail fees to $5 per square foot.

Principal planner Nancy Wynne told the council the amendment removes a prior automatic 4% annual increase and gives businesses the option to pay monthly or in an annual lump sum. Wynne said the Planning Commission reviewed the item on Sept. 16 and recommended approval by a 5-0 vote.

The council voted 4-0 to find the project exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under the existing-facilities exemption and to introduce by title an ordinance approving the development agreement amendment. The motion was made by Councilmember Manos and seconded by Councilmember Sheridan.

Under the existing development agreement, Wynne said, the community benefit fee began at $18 per square foot and increased by 4% annually. The amendment caps the retail fee at $25 per square foot and sets non-retail operations at $5 per square foot, with those fees no longer escalating automatically. Wynne also said the amended agreement retains city and state licensing and land-use requirements and applies to a business located in the city's M1 industrial zone.

There were no public speakers on the item and no substantive questions from council members before the vote. Staff recommended the council find the project exempt from CEQA and adopt the resolution and ordinance necessary to amend the development agreement.

Votes at a glance

— Motion to find the Blaze Utopia DA amendment exempt from CEQA under CEQA Guidelines section 15301 and introduce the ordinance approving the amended development agreement (mover: Councilmember Manos; second: Councilmember Sheridan): 4-0, motion carried.

Clarifying details from the staff presentation included the former $18-per-square-foot starting fee, the prior 4% annual increase, the new $25 retail cap and $5 non-retail rate, Planning Commission recommendation (5-0), and the business location within the M1 zone. The ordinance number and any effective dates were not specified during the hearing.

The council's action authorizes the city to proceed with the ordinance introduction; any final adoption would follow the city's formal ordinance-adoption process.