Porterville committee backs allowing cannabis retail in CG zoning but stops short on site-specific endorsement

PORTERVILLE — The Porterville Cannabis Committee voted during its Feb. 28 meeting to ask staff to bring a recommendation to the City Council allowing cannabis retail sales in the city—s CG (general commercial) zoning district, but the committee did not make a formal recommendation on a site-specific parcel split proposed for Main Street that sits near Porterville Adult School.

The committee—s action directs staff to prepare the ordinance amendments and related development agreement material for Council consideration; the committee recorded the motion as approved during the meeting, though individual vote tallies were not read aloud.

The item drew remarks from a Porterville Unified School District representative, who urged the committee to consider locations farther from campuses. "Porterville Adult School does serve teen parents and those teens that may have children," the district representative said, adding that some youth programs and health partnerships bring minors onto the campus. The district asked that the city consider alternative locations rather than a site that would be in close proximity to both the adult school and West Putnam (West Side) Mall entrance.

Committee members debated two separate questions: whether to amend the zoning code so the CG district can allow cannabis retail, and whether to endorse a specific parcel map proposed by a property owner (identified in the meeting as Mr. Garrett) that would split…