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Planning commission approves Plant Humble LLC cannabis nursery permit and recommends rezoning with conditions
Summary
The Humboldt County Planning Commission approved a special permit for Plant Humble LLC’s 10,000 sq ft cannabis nursery and recommended rezoning a parcel from neighborhood commercial to agricultural, subject to conditions including a reduced streamside setback (100 ft to 20 ft), mandatory bamboo removal, and after‑the‑fact permitting for an unpermitted pond.
The Humboldt County Planning Commission voted 5-0 to approve a special permit for Plant Humble LLC’s existing 10,000‑square‑foot cannabis nursery and recommended that the Board of Supervisors rezone the site from neighborhood commercial (C1) to agricultural general (AG).
Senior planner Steven Santos told the commission the project parcel in the Bryson area is just under three acres and has operated as a nursery for years. Staff said the nursery uses about 160,000 gallons of water annually, supplied from a rainwater catchment pond of roughly 250,000 gallons, and that power is provided on site (transcript: "PG"). Santos said the county received a written comment from the applicant and provided waivers from nearby residents and the school district for required setbacks around a bus stop and residences.
Santos described four primary staff concerns and related recommended conditions: a reduction of the streamside management area (SMA), after‑the‑fact permits for unpermitted grading (the pond), removal of invasive bamboo from the stream channel, and a prohibition on generator use except potentially during emergencies.
"The applicant is proposing elimination of the SMA to top‑of‑bank," Santos said, describing that proposal as unsupported by county staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). Santos recommended a reduction from 100 feet to 20 feet based on two site visits, the biological assessment recommending 20 feet, the small parcel size and historical grading. He cautioned that Redwood Creek is a perennial, fish‑bearing stream and that the reduction is "extraordinary in of itself." Santos also said the biological assessment and CDFW recommended bamboo removal because the species has migrated into the channel.
Commissioners questioned the scale of the SMA reduction and emphasized the bamboo requirement. One commissioner stated, "I will not waver on the removal of the bamboo," and asked whether staff’s site visits supported the 20‑foot setback. Santos said staff weighed site history, CDFW input and the biological assessment in recommending the smaller setback while noting CDFW generally prefers development be as far from streams as possible.
A motion to adopt the resolution (finding the project consistent with the final EIR/addendum and the commercial cannabis land use ordinance, approving the special permit subject to conditions, and recommending rezoning from C1 to AG) was moved by Commissioner Scabd Doll and seconded by Chair West. A roll‑call vote recorded five yes votes (Scabd Doll, O'Neal, West, McFarland and Fulton); the motion passed 5‑0.
The approved conditions include requiring after‑the‑fact grading permits for the pond, removal of invasive bamboo from the stream and a prohibition on routine generator use (the commission may allow generators for emergencies). The commission’s action will be forwarded as a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors on the proposed rezoning.
The public hearing drew no in‑person or online speakers on the item.
Next steps: the commission recommended rezoning to the Board of Supervisors; any further permits (grading, building, or other approvals) will follow county permitting review.
