Adelanto planning commission pauses cultivation approvals pending state-alignment of local rules

The Adelanto Planning Commission voted to continue three public hearings on proposed medical-marijuana cultivation projects after staff said the city attorney had recommended changes to the local development code to align with the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act.

Mark, the planning staff member who presented the projects, told the commission the attorney's review found the draft ordinance combined or misstated state licensing categories and that any approval under the present language "would not be valid." The commission therefore postponed action on location development plans 16-O-1 and 16-O-2 and conditional-use permit 16-O-3 until the ordinance has been amended and the attorney is available to advise the commission.

The move matters because applicants and would-be investors said they have money committed and expect decisions quickly. Applicant David Abovian, who identified himself at the hearing, said he preferred to "do everything by the book" and was willing to wait a few weeks…