CLEARLAKE >> The Clearlake City Council amended their Cannabis Cultivation Ordinance to allow the growing of marijuana on either side of Highway 53, with some exceptions applied.
The council was in agreement to forbid cultivation on properties adjacent to Lakeshore Drive and Olympic Drive, except for plot C4 off of the Olympic Drive area.
The decision covers commercial cultivation only. All commercial cultivation west of Highway 53 must be indoors with no natural light. Any cultivation east of the highway can be either indoor with no natural light or in a hybrid greenhouse.
The exception for Lakeshore and Olympic came from Council Member Joyce Overton, who said she would like to keep these areas clear for other growth options.
“My biggest concern was Lakeshore Drive. I really didn’t want any cultivation on Lakeshore Drive,” Overton said. “I don’t want it where our tourism is or on our main drive.”
Clearlake Mayor Bruno Sabatier said he agreed with the decision. He pointed out that it would be better to limit cultivation to locations where there is less foot traffic.
“I would rather see restaurants, I want to see retail happening on Lakeshore Drive. I don’t want to see a grow where there’s a building you can’t enter. I want to see every building be accessible to the public so that we can have as much commerce on that strip,” Sabatier said.
City Manager Greg Folsom said when the ordinance was first established, there was some confusion on what the exact language said in it on where cultivation can take place.
This led to much needed clarification amongst the council and the city residents.
“It wasn’t exactly as clear as could be in regards to whether cultivations was or was not allowed so there was conversation that we don’t want to allow it is what the majority of the council said so a moratorium was put in place and was extended on February 1 so we could get the correct language together,” Folsom said.
Looking at this issue Folsom said they also considered other adjustments that might be needed. Those have been amended as well by the city council, although the changes were generally in language. The alterations relate to potential setback guidelines, acreage size and some of the zones.
Now that the council has decided to allow cultivation west of Highway 53 and made the adjustments to the ordinance, a second reading will occur and the updated version of the ordinance will go into effect 30 days after.
