The Lake County Planning Commission on Jan. 8 approved Major Use Permit PL2513 (UP2115) for Rancho Lake LLC, authorizing 19.6 acres of outdoor cannabis cultivation and a Type 13 distributor (self-transport only) near Grange Road in Middletown, after public comment and deliberation. The commission found that the project's impacts could be mitigated to less-than-significant under a Mitigated Negative Declaration and adopted the staff-recommended conditions, including a Lake Office of Emergency Services (OES) "know your zone" information requirement for employees.

Senior planner Mary Claybon summarized the project history and agency input, noting the item had been continued multiple times and that staff received a late "green sheet" comment from Lake OES. Claybon described the engineered site plans, setbacks under Article 27 of the Lake County Zoning Ordinance (100 feet from the property line and 200 feet from off-site residences; 1,000-foot setback from community growth boundaries like Hidden Valley Lake) and the hydrological analysis indicating the on-site irrigation well was roughly 230 feet from Pouda Creek, with a modeled radius of influence that staff said would not directly affect streamflow.

Adjacant property owner Peter Luchetti urged the commission to require more thorough hydrology and cumulative-impact analysis, saying the applicant's hydrologist reached conclusions that conflicted with other reports and that the biological surveys were out-of-date. "I've highlighted them in a letter to you several times ... their analysis doesn't even consider our groundwater use," Luchetti said. Other public commenters, including Charles Morris and Tom Lasik, raised concerns about adjudicated water allocations, potential cumulative impacts with nearby projects and outdated biological surveys that may require updated fieldwork.

Applicant consultant Trey Sherrill responded that well tests included a 2-hour completion test and two 6-hour pump tests (one at about 100 gpm and another at about 355 gpm) and said the project intends to continue cattle grazing on portions of the property. Staff clarified that pre-construction biological surveys are required as mitigation and that the site is enrolled with the California Water Resources Control Board and is working to submit required documents.

During deliberations, commissioners debated whether a longer-duration hydrogeologic test performed during a drier season would be appropriate, discussed odor and aesthetic mitigation such as vegetative screening, and questioned the application of Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) screening for transportation impacts. After discussion, a motion was made and seconded to adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration and approve the major use permit subject to staff conditions. The motion passed 3 ayes, 1 no and 1 absent. Staff reminded the public of a seven-calendar-day appeal period to the Board of Supervisors.

The permit includes standard environmental mitigation measures (pre-construction biological surveys, nesting bird surveys and other bio-mitigation), requirements per Article 27 setbacks, and the recommended Lake OES employee preparedness condition to post evacuation-zone information and enroll employees in Lake County alerts.

Next steps: the seven-day appeal period to the Board of Supervisors is open; if appealed, the Board will consider the matter.