Board approves Rocktree neighborhood commercial-cannabis prohibition after narrow vote

The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 on Tuesday to adopt an ordinance creating a commercial cannabis prohibition (CP) combining district for a cluster of 25 parcels in the Rocktree neighborhood northeast of Willits.

Planning staff said the proposed overlay is permitted by county code when at least 60% of affected landowners support the measure; the applicant provided evidence that 67% supported the change this year, an increase from insufficient support in a 2021 attempt. Planner Shelby Miller told the board the parcel mix is primarily rangeland and timber-production zoning and that no sites in the proposed district currently participate in the county cannabis program.

Supporters, including property owner Bruce Jackson, said the overlay would protect a small, quiet agricultural valley and provide a permanent tool to preserve riparian habitat. Jackson told supervisors the creeks in the valley support Chinook salmon and juvenile steelhead and supplied field reports from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife documenting spawning runs and juvenile presence.

Opponents, including cannabis industry representatives and some public commenters, argued the overlay was unnecessary because the underlying zoning already excludes Phase 3 cultivation and that the CP district establishes a policy precedent that may allow groups to block future lawful uses. They also urged the board to require an initial-study CEQA analysis because land-use changes can shift development pressures to other sites.

County counsel and planning staff said the application followed the county's ordinance for establishing CP districts and that the planning commission had recommended approval on a 3-1 vote. Deputy County Counsel said the ordinance does not bind future boards from changing the designation, though it restricts affected landowners from seeking repeal for 10 years.

Vote: The motion to adopt the ordinance passed with Supervisors Haschak, Klein and Norvell voting yes; Supervisors Williams and Mulhern voted no. The board's action rezones the listed APNs to add the CP combining district; staff said existing permitted uses and rights were not retroactively removed but the prohibition would bar new cannabis permits within the district and require any existing permitted operation to cease within three years.

Why it matters: The decision adds a locally requested layer of land-use restriction intended to protect sensitive riparian habitat in a valley that residents identify as ecologically important. It also highlights political tradeoffs: supporters said the overlay preserves a community character and fisheries habitat; opponents warned about precedent and CEQA consequences if similar requests expand countywide.

What's next: Planning staff will publish the ordinance and update zoning records; affected property owners who wish to pursue future changes would face a 10-year wait and would need 60% owner support to amend the district.

This article uses direct quotes and factual summaries from the Sept. 23 Mendocino County Board of Supervisors meeting transcript.