The Santa Barbara County Planning Commission approved plans on Wednesday that will allow Plantel Nurseries to expand its operation size by 36.7 acres.

The commission unanimously approved the expansion plans that will allow the nursery to add 13 greenhouses, a germination building, a water recycling building, and 85 parking spots for employees and trucks.

The company also plans to hire 10 new employees when the expansion is complete.

Plantel Nurseries, located near Orcutt at 2775 E. Clark Ave., sells seedlings to farms in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties, and other states, according to a county staff report.

The expansion will add exactly 36.7 acres, or 1,596,480 square feet, to the eastern portion of Plantel Nurseries’ operations. The Plantel Nurseries lot covers 137 acres.

Plantel’s former president, Scott Nicholson, said the construction is just an expansion of the current operation. Nicholson recently retired from the company and was involved in the plans before he left.

“We do face periods of time when we are at maximum capacity in our existing facilities,” Nicholson told the commission. “So, this will allow us to expand our production.”

Nicholson explained that the company benefits farmers by allowing farms to grow crops faster and giving them a better yield of produce. He said that buying seedlings also cuts down on the amount of water farms use.  

The Planning Commission unanimously supported the project and quickly approved it.

Third District Commissioner John Parke said he has visited Plantel Nurseries in the past and learned how important they are to vegetable farming in Santa Barbara County.

“You could make an argument that they are the most significant enterprise in this county,” Parke said.

Fourth District Commissioner Roy Reed called Plantel a fixture and important element of the local agricultural industry.

“With respect to this expansion plan, it seems it would be a great asset to the operations,” Reed said.