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Lancaster planning commission approves cannabis retail and delivery at 45248 Traver Avenue
Summary
The Lancaster City Planning Commission on a 4-0 vote approved Conditional Use Permit 24-005 and Resolution 25-1 to allow a cannabis retail and delivery operation in an existing industrial building at 45248 Traver Avenue, conditioned on security, parking, odor controls and other measures.
The Lancaster City Planning Commission approved Conditional Use Permit 24-005 on a 4-0 vote to allow cannabis retail and delivery operations at 45248 Traver Avenue, adopting Resolution 25-1 and finding the project categorically exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act.
The project, presented by Mitzi Alvarado, the city case planner, would convert an approximately 1,800-square-foot vacant industrial building to a cannabis retail store with a delivery service and associated site improvements. Alvarado said the application does not request any distance waivers: there are no identified sensitive uses within 600 feet and no other retail cannabis locations within 1,000 feet of the site. She told commissioners staff recommends adoption of Resolution 25-1 approving the CUP and authorizing staff to execute and file a notice of exemption under CEQA.
The applicant, EJ2 Ventures LLC, represented by Zadek Marshall, told the commission the business would be vertically integrated. Marshall said, “We grow our own product, and we have a 120 acre farm, in Southern Humboldt County.” He described decades of industry experience and said the company operates cultivation and manufacturing operations elsewhere and will supply product to the proposed retail site.
Conditions of approval and project details discussed at the hearing include: replacement of an on-site storage shed and existing chain-link fencing; construction of a new 168-square-foot trash enclosure; new facade and architectural improvements; and replacement of perimeter fencing with a required 6-foot concrete block wall along designated property lines. The proposal includes striping for five on-site parking spaces (including one ADA space) and one loading space. Alvarado said those parking improvements meet current code for the industrial zone.
Operational conditions recommended by staff and accepted by the applicant include retail hours of 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, delivery hours of 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, a maximum of 10 customers in the store at one time, a minimum of one security guard on-site at all times, a customer-to-sales-associate ratio not to exceed 5-to-1, indoor and outdoor security cameras, and secured alarm systems. Alvarado said the security and operations plan has been reviewed by city staff and the Lancaster Police Department; she added that odor-management must use industry-standard carbon filters and that detection of odor could result in revocation of the CUP.
Commissioners questioned site circulation, staffing and parking. Chair Vos and other commissioners asked whether the site would maintain a single customer entrance and how deliveries would be handled; the applicant confirmed customers would use the front entrance and deliveries would be made through the rear roll-up door and limited to staff access. The applicant said initial on-site staffing would include two employees behind the counter, a manager and security personnel (four staff on-site plus security during peak operation), and that employees would park off-site with the five on-site stalls reserved for customers.
Planning manager Hai Nguyen noted the posted packet initially omitted pages from the November minutes but that the packet was corrected before the hearing. The applicant submitted an uncontested letter agreeing to all recommended conditions of approval.
After discussion, a commissioner moved to adopt Resolution 25-1 approving Conditional Use Permit 24-005 and the commission voted 4-0 with three commissioners absent. Chair Vos announced the motion passed 4-0 with three absent. The commission directed staff to complete the ministerial steps required by the resolution, including filing the CEQA notice of exemption.
The planning manager said staff anticipates bringing additional projects, including annexations and specific plans, to the commission in future meetings.
Votes at a glance
- Resolution 25-1 / Conditional Use Permit 24-005 — Approved, vote 4-0 with 3 absent. Project: allow cannabis retail and delivery at 45248 Traver Avenue; CEQA: categorical exemption; conditions: security plan, odor mitigation, parking and site improvements.
