Red Bank planning board approves cannabis extraction and manufacturing use at 15 East Leonard Street with conditions

The Red Bank Planning Board on June 10 approved a preliminary and final site-plan application to permit cannabis extraction and manufacturing (a solventless rosin operation) at 15 East Leonard Street, subject to conditions including engineering approval of odor controls, completion of required landscaping or a payment-in-lieu, and paving of the roadway before issuance of a final certificate of occupancy.

The applicant’s counsel presented the filing and identified that no zoning variances are required because the proposed use fits within a previously approved building and site plan. Christopher Horning, an operations manager who said he runs Neptune’s Garden in Neptune, N.J., testified as an operations witness. “I’m a management service operator. Myself and my partner will manage the whole property, all the processes and everything that’s done, sold,” Horning said, explaining his operational role.

Horning described the manufacturing process as solventless rosin production: trimmings are washed in cold water through mesh bags and then pressed to produce a resin. “There’s no butane, there’s no CO2, there’s no hexane,” he said, adding the operation uses mechanical pressure and activated-carbon filtration for odor control. He also described security measures including gates, alarms, cameras and an on-site vault.

Board members pressed the applicant on current activity at the site, whether a municipal certificate of occupancy (CO) covers the new operator and how town- and state-level licensing intersect. Counsel and witnesses explained the building owner holds a state license and that a prior operator’s state license had been revoked; they also said the owner and the new operators have long-term contracts. The board directed staff to confirm local licensing status and ordered that any ongoing operations be reconciled with town licensing rules. A board member stated the expectation that the CO for the facility will not be issued until required improvements (landscaping/trees and paving) are completed or otherwise secured.

The board required that the odor-control design be reviewed and approved by the municipal engineer. Horning said the system will create negative pressure inside the building and use make-up air, pre-filters and activated carbon filters before any exhaust, which he said prevents external odor. The engineer’s review requirement was repeated by board staff as a condition of approval.

Applicant testimony estimated two full‑time employees would staff the manufacturing lab and that delivery logistics would use small vans (ProMaster/Sprinter types) rather than large trucks. The applicant also said the site has significant existing electrical capacity and that the manufacturing process would not materially increase the electric load compared with full cultivation operations.

A public attendee asked whether residents might tour the applicant’s Neptune facility to see controls in operation; the applicant invited interested residents to visit by arrangement. The board and staff also discussed lighting color temperature, buffer screening and native landscaping; the applicant agreed to submit a landscaping plan or pay into the borough tree fund as allowed.

A motion to approve the application as submitted, conditioned on compliance with the engineer’s requirements, completion of the trees or payment-in-lieu, adherence to the Environmental Commission letter (aside from a flagged lighting foot-candle discrepancy), and paving prior to final CO was made and seconded. The board approved the motion by roll-call; multiple members registered “yes” in the transcript record and there were no recorded “no” votes.

Next steps: staff will confirm local licensing and CO status with the building department and coordinate with the applicant on timing for any cessation of on-site activity if required; engineering sign-off and completion of conditioned improvements will be required before a final CO is issued.