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Board modifies Manna Farms conditional-use permit, keeps suspension in place pending compliance
Summary
The Board of Supervisors denied an appeal by the operator of the Manna Farms cannabis cultivation permit and modified conditions of approval, keeping the permit suspended until required items including solar, power documentation and well-testing are completed; the board granted an extended deadline for the solar requirement to Dec. 31, 2025.
Humboldt County's Board of Supervisors on March 25 denied an appeal from the operator of the Manna Farms cannabis cultivation permit and modified the conditional-use permit with additional conditions and deadlines, keeping the permit suspended until the operator demonstrates compliance.
What the planning department recommended
Planning staff had recommended revocation of the conditional-use permit for PLN12280 after citing unauthorized diversion of water from Little Larrabee Creek, violations of conditions of approval, solid and hazardous waste concerns, inconsistent water monitoring and power-source issues. At an earlier hearing the board directed staff to add conditions allowing the permit to be reinstated only after those conditions were satisfied.
Board action and the revised condition on power
At the March hearing, staff presented an updated resolution that retained suspension until outstanding conditions were completed, required documentation that a proposed solar system could provide all operational power needs, required paid fees and made clear that violations of the revised conditions would be grounds for revocation. The permit holder, Kathy Ann Hall, told the board she had paid current fees and was under contract for a solar installation that could not begin until June 2025 with completion by August 2025.
After discussion, the board adopted the planning department's resolution denying the appeal and modifying the permit to include the added and revised conditions. The board amended staff's timeline to allow completion of the solar requirement by Dec. 31, 2025 (the board had suggested an August or January date earlier in discussion but ultimately approved Dec. 31), and stressed that any violations of the new conditions would be grounds for a future revocation hearing.
Why it matters
The decision preserves the county's enforcement ability while giving the operator a fixed timetable to bring the operation into compliance. Planning staff said the permit remains suspended and the suspension will not be lifted until all conditions have been met and fees paid.
Quote
Planning staff summarized the change: "It is the planning and building department's recommendation to adopt the resolution, which denies the appeal of the suspension and modifies the conditional use permit to include the revised and added conditions of approval," the department told the board.
Vote and next steps
The modified conditions and denial of the appeal passed 5-0. Staff will inspect the site, verify completion of the conditions (including the solar and well testing requirements), and keep the permit suspended until all requirements are satisfied. If conditions are not met by the new deadlines, staff said the matter will be scheduled for a revocation hearing.
Ending: The board's action leaves the permit suspended with a set of new, enforceable conditions and a final deadline for the key solar requirement that the operator said would be completed by the end of 2025.
