Planning Commission declines to approve Winter Haven cannabis dispensary CUP and parking variance

The Imperial County Planning Commission on July 23, 2025 did not approve a proposed cannabis dispensary and a related parking variance for a site at 509 Railroad Avenue in Winter Haven. The applicant, WH Launch LLC, had sought a conditional use permit (CUP 23‑0018) and a variance (24‑0001) to allow operation of a dispensary with delivery and an on-site consumption lounge and to permit 25 parking spaces, with employees using adjacent property owned by the applicant for overflow parking.

Planner Heraldo Kettle presented the application and said the site is in the Woodhaven Urban Area Plan and zoned C‑2. He said staff recommended a negative declaration from the Environmental Evaluation Committee (staff cited that committee’s recommendation dated April 25, 2024) and recommended approval of both the CUP and variance subject to the conditions in the staff report.

Independent economist Mike Brackett of DNG Economics presented an economic and fiscal impact analysis prepared for the county executive office. Brackett said his analysis estimated about $24 million in total regional economic activity over 30 years, operational revenue of roughly $2.5 million per year, about seven operational jobs, and a net fiscal benefit to the county of about $6.2 million over 30 years (approximately $10.5 million in revenue and $4.3 million in costs over three decades).

Applicant Stewart Namal raised questions about two conditions proposed by the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office: (1) the applicant’s contribution to training costs related to drug‑recognition and DUI training (the sheriff’s office asked the applicant to reimburse training costs, to be managed by the county); and (2) installation of license‑plate‑reading cameras at ingress/egress locations with data access granted to the sheriff’s office. Namal said those particular requirements had not been required on some prior projects and described the request as "a little bit unfair," but he told the commission he would cooperate and comply if the conditions were imposed.

Planning department staff said the sheriff’s office had provided the conditions and offered options to accept, remove, or postpone the items pending sheriff attendance; the applicant asked to proceed that day. After discussion and a roll call, motions to recommend approval of the CUP and to approve the variance were both put to a vote and did not carry. Staff advised that parties wishing to appeal the commission’s decision may file an appeal in writing with the Board of Supervisors; the appeal fee was stated as $1,000.