Porterville committee considers allowing dispensaries in broader commercial zones after relocation request

A Porterville Cannabis Committee meeting on Jan. 12 considered amendments to the city's retail cannabis zoning after a licensee asked to move a dispensary to a site on Olive Avenue.

Staff told the committee that the city ordinance (Nos. 1853 and 1854) currently permits dispensaries primarily in downtown and airport-industrial districts and that the applicant, Darren Garrett, seeks to relocate to a property zoned General Service Commercial. Staff said the Olive Avenue site appears to be within the state'mandated 600'foot buffer from a school and reported, "It's approximately 425 feet," presenting a potential conflict with the state requirement.

The committee discussed the original policy rationale for concentrating licenses on Main Street: downtown reinvestment and visibility. Several members said the downtown concentration has helped limit problems and encouraged compliance; others said expanding allowable commercial zones could improve access for residents on the city's west side.

Garrett said one driver of the relocation request is customer convenience: residents on the west side often do not travel to Main Street and some rely on out'of'jurisdiction delivery services. Garrett also described the Olive Avenue property boundary features, noting a block wall and chain-link fence between the site and the neighboring school lot.

Staff said they had contacted Porterville Unified School District (PUSD) before the meeting and would request formal, written comment from PUSD (including Dr. Robach and Dr. Nelson) to confirm whether the property is classified as a K'12 or planned school site under the ordinance. Staff also told the committee it would evaluate parceling options, including a draft parcel map to test whether a revised lot configuration could meet the 600'foot setback measurement.

The committee gave direction for staff to work with Garrett on parcel/mapping options and to return to the committee with findings and any proposed ordinance language.

The committee made no ordinance change at the meeting; staff said any zoning amendment would be brought back to the committee and ultimately to the city council for ordinance adoption.