A proposed 68,100-square-foot facility for cannabis growing and processing sailed through the Lompoc Planning Commission on Wednesday night, one of two similar projects that the panel will review within weeks.
The Mustang Lompoc Investors LLC one-story facility is proposed for 3 acres at 1501 North O St. plus 801 and 851 Cordoba Ave. within the city’s business park zone. The three vacant lots sit along North O Street between Cordoba Avenue and Aviation Drive.
The commissioners voted 4-1 to approve several aspects of the project, including the architectural design/site development review and a mitigated negative declaration for the Mustang cannabis facility, which also will distribute cannabis.
Commissioner Dan Badertscher cast the lone vote against the project without explanation.
Site improvements would include an 8-foot-tall fence and gates at the rear of the building, which would be surrounded by other business park members plus Walmart east of the site, planner Greg Stones told the commission.
“We’ve done everything we can to comply with the current code. We’re very comfortable with the conditions of approval as well as the mitigation measures,” said John Dewey, who is listed as the chief executive officer for the real estate investment group Mustang Lompoc Partners LLC based in Newport Beach.
The architectural style for the Mustang facility will maintain the character of the neighborhood with a design similar to the nearby Sea Smoke, Dewey said. .
One condition related to greenhouse gasses because of the project’s expected energy consumption — for lighting, freezing and cooling — most likely will lead to the installation of solar panels to the rooftop as a mitigation measure, Dewey said.
“We will give Lompoc (Electrical Division) a very nice customer,” Dewey said.
Sixty-one off-street parking spaces are proposed, exceeding the 59 slots required under city regulations.
Mustang Lompoc Partners still needs to submit a commercial cannabis use license application for city review and approval before beginning operations, city staff said. That application process through the City Clerk’s Office includes a comprehensive review of the applicant’s background, business proposal and operating procedures.
It was one of two similar facilities proposed for Lompoc, which has no limits on the number of cannabis businesses allowed in the community.
In October, planners will review the Organic Liberty Lompoc LLC proposal for 1025 and 1035 Central Ave. to accommodate a cannabis cultivation, manufacturing, processing, testing and distribution center on an undeveloped 3.8-acre site.
The building would be about 91,000 square feet and two stories tall, or 35 feet, in height, with screening for rooftop mechanical equipment up to 44 feet in height.
Both businesses would only sell cannabis products to state-licensed facilities on a wholesale basis and would not provide retail sales on site, city staff said. They also would not be open to the public, with visitors allowed only when escorted and for a specific business purpose.
“It’s good to see new businesses coming to town,” planning manager Brian Halvorson said, “and these are larger businesses that will provide a new job base for Lompoc.”
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.