MIDDLETOWN— The Middletown Area Town Hall meeting was called to order at 7:05 p.m. at the Middletown Library on Thursday. The agenda listed two projects for discussion, a Major Use Permit for Commercial Cannabis Cultivation on 19.6 acres at Rancho Lake, Inc/Comstock at 19955 Grange Road and answers to the PG&E – GI Landfill questions from the March meeting.
The Lake County Planning Commission had announced a hearing for the Major Use Permit Thursday morning, so an action item was not scheduled on the M.A.T.H. meeting agenda. However, the Planning Commission could not achieve a quorum that morning, so M.A.T.H. can offer input to the Planning Board’s decision after all. A motion to table the issue was rejected and an opportunity for public comment was allowed. There may be an opportunity for presentations by advocates and critics of the Major Use Permit in the June meeting.
Jim Comstock stated that he was a 7th generation Californian, his forebearers having arrived in 1841. He graduated from Middletown High School in 1968 and he has been working his 1800 acre ranch his whole life. The ranch has never been able to pay for itself. After considering many options to keep Comstock ranch in the family, preserve the open space and pay Lake County taxes, cannabis cultivation makes the most sense to him and has the least impact on the land and the community. Part of the contract with the grower requires them to create a significant garden that will be contributed to the community.
His son, James Comstock, used his three minutes of community discussion to state that he also grew up in Middletown. He underscored that they considered all possible crop and livestock options before deciding on cannabis cultivation. They considered and rejected other cannabis growers before selecting one that they found to be highly responsible. The family has been working on this proposal since 2020, going through numerous studies and evaluations of water use, pesticide use, security, lighting, noise and community impact.
Erin (Comstock) Cherry, Jim’s daughter, also grew up in Middletown. She wants to preserve the ranch for her children who attend Middletown schools. This arrangement will allow her parents to continue to live on the ranch.
Fletcher Thornton volunteered that he was a life-long friend of Jim Comstock, and that he considered him to be a true steward of the land, and a man of his word.
Other members of the community want to see the full Planning Commission report that details the specifics of the project. Some noted concerns about lighting, noise and traffic. A neighboring property opposes the Major Use Permit. They will be invited to present their objections at the next meeting.
The PG&E capped landfill monitoring presentation from the March meeting was amended. The plume of monitored pollutants from the project extends 260 acre-feet. The 32 acres of eucalyptus trees, planted by PG&E in efforts to prevent the interaction of polluted ground water with local drinking sources, will be chipped and removed via Butts Canyon and Highway 29, as they have been deemed ineffective and a fire hazard. The Water Board has approved the decision.
