Planning commission approves Wellness Ranch major use permit and mitigated negative declaration for expanded cannabis operation

The Lake County Planning Commission on Nov. 13 approved a major use permit amendment and adopted a mitigated negative declaration for Wellness Ranch, a cannabis cultivation operation at 6751 Ridge Road, Lakeport (APN 007‑045‑16).

Mary Clabaughn, senior planner with the Community Development Department, presented the staff report and recommended adoption of Initial Study IS23‑19 and approval of the major use permit (PL25‑59 / UP23‑08) subject to the findings and conditions in the staff report dated Nov. 13, 2025. Staff summarized project scope (proposed expansion to a combined ~107,120 square feet of outdoor canopy and 8,820 square feet of indoor canopy, new processing and barn structures and water‑storage tanks), site conditions (150‑acre parcel in rural lands with B5 waterway combining district in the Kelseyville planning area), required setbacks from waterways, CEQA‑identified impact areas, tribal notification, and required mitigation to reduce impacts to less than significant.

Applicant consultant Richard Knoll and owner Luis Martinez described reductions made…