The Santa Barbara County Planning Commission voted Wednesday to deny an appeal of an Orcutt cannabis dispensary’s land use permit and approve the project.
The East Clark SB OPCO LLC dispensary, which plans to lease commercial space at 1604 E. Clark Ave., was the top-ranked dispensary for the Orcutt area in the county’s selection process.
Planning staff approved a land use permit in April, and it was appealed by Interested Cimarron Estates Homeowners, who raised concerns about traffic, parking, and inconsistencies between the land use permit application and the earlier application for the county’s ranking process.
The planning commissioners listened to several hours of testimony during Wednesday’s meeting and voted 4-1 to deny the appeal and grant approval to the project. Commissioners Michael Cooney, Laura Bridley, John Parke and Larry Ferini voted in favor and Vincent Martinez was opposed.
Cimarron Estates residents voiced concerns about traffic, drivers illegally turning left into the shopping center where the dispensary would lease space, and not having enough parking for customers.
The parking lot is already busy, and residents’ biggest concern is that dispensary customers will park in residential neighborhoods instead, Cimarron Estates resident Torey Winn said.
Dispensary representatives said there is dedicated employee parking on site and plenty of spaces for customers. They also said customers tend to have short visits, an average of seven minutes.
The Cimarron Estates appeal also pointed to the business name change — from Cookies to Dr. Greenthumb’s.
According to a county staff report, the dispensary applicant hasn’t changed, but the name was changed from Cookies in response to concerns that it would attract children, according to the county staff report.
Brandon Gesicki, with the dispensary company, said Cookies does business under other names and chose Dr. Greenthumb’s as “the most innocuous name.” The name Lemonade was rejected for the same concern as Cookies, he said.
County supervisors decided to allow only six dispensaries in unincorporated areas, and 20 operators competed for the locations: one each in Orcutt, Los Alamos, Santa Ynez, Isla Vista/Goleta Valley, Eastern Goleta Valley and Toro Canyon/Summerland.
Each top-ranked operator per area was allowed to start the permit and business license application process.
East Clark SB OPCO LLC won the top spot for Orcutt, and the No. 2-ranked company, Natural Healing Center Orcutt 405, sued the county over the listing. A Superior Court judge denied NHC’s petition to rescore the application. NHC proposed putting a dispensary in the former Old Town Market building.
Orcutt is a desirable dispensary market because the city of Santa Maria has banned all dispensaries.
Statewide, 56% of cities and counties don’t allow any type of cannabis businesses, according to the state Department of Cannabis Control. Dispensaries are even more limited, as 62% of cities and counties have banned retail cannabis businesses.
None of the six county dispensaries have opened yet, and the Orcutt dispensary is the first one to get appealed.
The dispensary chosen for the Toro Canyon/Summerland area — The Roots dispensary at 3823 Santa Claus Lane, Unit A — is also facing an appeal, and will have a Planning Commisson hearing to decide on its land use permit approval.
— Noozhawk managing editor Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.