Planning Commission discusses outdoor personal Cannabis cultivation, commercial zoning
Winters Planning Commission Advances Cannabis Cultivation Ordinance and Rezoning Proposal.
On April 23, the Winters Planning Commission approved re-zoning while also creating and adjusting an ordinance regarding personal cannabis cultivation and potential limitations. The ordinance will next go to the Winters City Council.
Taking on the first reading of creating limitations for outdoor cannabis growth for personal use, the planning commission discussed odor, light pollution and how to enforce it.
During the public hearing, Winters resident Paul Meyers said that while he does not like the idea of allowing outdoor cannabis growth, he found the proposal relatively fair.
“The best way to eliminate this is to ban outdoor growing as the majority of cities in California have,” Meyers said. “At the last meeting, you gave city staff quite a challenge, which was to find a middle ground and I would like to compliment them on their work.”
The proposed ordinance, which still needs city council input and approval, would limit the number of plants to six, with only three being allowed to be grown outdoors. The ordinance continues that outdoor plants should not be accessible to the public.
The ordinance continued that any indoor cultivation must comply with electrical, ventilation and fire regulations. As well as there must be locks and ways to ensure minors do not have access.
Some of the other issues brought up during the discussion were the concern that some cannabis varieties produce more odor than others. David Storer, a contractor planner for the city, said that disallowing certain varieties might not reach the root of the matter.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to name each of the varieties you would like to eliminate or prohibit,” Storer said.
Storer continued explaining that even if one variety was banned, there may be other varieties cultivated with an equally pungent scent.
Gregory Contreras, planning commission chair, said that initially, he found the ordinance beyond the scope needed.
The planning commission spent some time rewording and readjusting the ordinance before approving it unanimously.
The other agenda item the commission addressed was rezoning Neighborhood Commercial (C-1) to Central Business Commercial (C-2). Commissioner Ramon Altamirano recused himself from the portion of the meeting because he resides near the area where the rezoning would occur.
The commission voted 4–0 to change the zoning from C-1 to C-2. Both of them allow housing and some commercial to be built on the property, however, the main difference is that C-2 allows for more commercial and retail businesses to be located there.
