Yolo Planning Commission approves Yolo Nursery cannabis cultivation and distribution permit

The Yolo County Planning Commission on a 6-0-1 vote approved Zone File 2023-42, a cannabis use permit for Yolo Nursery LLC that authorizes up to 2 acres of cannabis canopy and a distribution license at a 17.5-acre parcel southwest of the unincorporated community of Zamora.

The project site, on County Road 13 roughly 600 feet southwest of Zamora, currently contains about a 2.8-acre footprint of cannabis-related uses including five greenhouses, an outdoor cultivation area and a 1,100-square-foot shop used for drying and processing. Staff said the parcel’s general plan designation is agricultural and that the site meets the county’s 600-foot buffer requirement from residential zones. Assistant Planner Aaron Brown told commissioners the project would add roughly one acre of outdoor canopy in a proposed three-acre expansion area, an 1,800-square-foot processing building, and a 240-square-foot accessible modular restroom.

“Upon approval of the cannabis use permit, the Premium Ace Nursery license would terminate and future cultivation activities would commence under the Yolo Nursery entity,” Aaron Brown, Assistant Planner with the Community Services Department, said during the commission’s presentation. Brown said the county’s recommended conditions include an upgrade to Valley Clean Energy Ultra Green or equivalent within six months of approval, LED indoor lighting or equivalent, an engineer‑certified odor control plan, and a security plan with camera and alarm measures.

Applicant Damien Galford, a member of Yolo Nursery, told the commission the operation has cultivated on the parcel under county and state licenses since 2017 and has maintained neighbor relations with adjacent almond orchard operators. “Pesticide drift has not been a problem,” Galford said, adding that the business performs state-certified testing on product batches and uses timing and greenhouse containment to reduce exposures.

Commissioners asked about pesticide drift, groundwater and how the proposed distribution license would be used. Brown said the county had corresponded with the agricultural commissioner and that the applicant had performed neighbor outreach; he also said the CEQA findings conservatively determined the expansion would not approach the environmental impact thresholds cited in the CLUO EIR. Brown said the staff report did not include a specific groundwater‑use number but that the CEQA findings and public‑utilities analysis addressed water use and that the applicant has not applied for an additional well.

Galford said the distribution license would allow the operation to transport and centralize processing and packaging for multiple farms under common ownership, noting that as cultivators they currently rely on third-party distributors and state‑certified labs for testing and quarantine. “Once it passes testing, then we’re allowed to give it a certificate of authentication and then it’s ready to go to a retail outlet,” Galford said.

Commissioners who spoke in support described the application as thorough and as demonstrating good neighbor practices and appropriate regulatory controls. After commissioners moved and seconded the staff recommendation, the motion carried 6-0-1.

Votes at a glance: - Approval of minutes of previous meeting — approved (voice vote recorded as Aye; tally recorded during meeting). - Approval of agenda as written — approved (voice vote recorded as Aye). - Zone File 2023-42, cannabis use permit for Yolo Nursery LLC — approved, motion passes 6-0-1.

The permit approval includes conditions described in the staff report: energy upgrade to Valley Clean Energy Ultra Green (or equivalent) within six months, LED or equivalent indoor lighting with controls to minimize light escape, compliance with an engineer‑certified odor control plan, a security plan, and a requirement to provide contact information to property owners within 1,000 feet of the property line. The county staff report notes the site’s existing facilities (four 3,600‑square‑foot greenhouses and one 2,070‑square‑foot greenhouse; a 1,100‑square‑foot processing shop; outdoor cultivation of about 1.8 acres) and the proposed additions (approximately one additional acre of canopy within a roughly three‑acre expansion footprint, an 1,800‑square‑foot processing building, and a 240‑square‑foot modular restroom).

The commission closed the public hearing after applicant and staff comments and carried the motion. The applicant indicated plans to resume cultivation next spring pending state and county license issuance.