 Mike, will we be ready to go at 4.30? I believe we will. We are starting a chat with our interpreters in case we do need to contact them for anything. And I'll let you know, I'll be the one cutting in if we're having any kind of issue. Thank you. Yeah, but other than that, yes, staff will be ready at 4.30. And all commissioners that are planning on being here, I think. Thank you. Okay, it is 4.30. And I would like to call the September 23rd, 2021 meeting of the Santa Rosa Planning Commission to order. Before we start, I wanted to let everyone know that at this meeting, we will be having an interpreter on the Spanish channel. I'd like to ask that the interpreter currently on the Spanish channel to commence translation of the meeting. To join the Spanish channel, click on the interpretation icon on the zoom toolbar, which is also a globe. Once you join the Spanish channel, please shut off your main audio so you clearly hear the Spanish translation. This is the first time the planning commission has had Spanish translation via zoom and I would like to thank the community members who requested this. And I would like to encourage all of us maybe to speak a little slower than we normally do with the translation. And as many things happening for the first time, if we have some hiccups along the way, I'd like to ask for everybody's indulgence and patience. And we may end up taking a couple of breaks during the meeting as we work through this, so. And I'd like to read the following statement due to provisions of the governor's executive orders and 25-20 and end 29-20, which suspend certain requirements of the Brown Act and the order of the health officer of the County of Sonoma to shelter in place to minimize the spread of COVID-19. The planning commissioners will be conducting today's meeting in a virtual setting using zoom webinar. Commissioners and staff are participating from remote locations and are practicing appropriate social distancing. Members of the public may view and listen to the meeting as noted on the city's website and as noted on the agenda. Members of the public wishing to speak during item four, a public comment or during our two public hearing items tonight will be able to do so by raising their hand and will be given the ability to address the commission. Mr. Maloney, would you like to call roll? Thank you, Chair Wicks. Yes, one moment. I think the Spanish translator would like to, on the English side, state in Spanish the instructions that you just gave. Thank you. We can give an opportunity for that. And then I'll call. It'll be one second, Chair Wicks. We're having a technical issue. We're going to move one of them back one moment. What was the key to what I'm going to do? One moment, Chair Wicks. This is Charles, the Spanish interpreter. I'll come in now. Thank you, Chair Wicks. Let the record reflect that all commissioners are present except Commissioner Okrepke and we can move on with the meeting now. Thank you. So with that, we'll move on to item 2.1, which is study session, which we do not have one tonight. Item 3 is approval of minutes. We have minutes for both August 12th and September 9th meeting. Are there any changes to either of those minutes? Okay, seeing none. Item 4, public comment. This is now the time for public comment for any item that is not on the agenda tonight. If you wish to make a comment via Zoom, please select the raise hand button. If you are dialing in via telephone, please dial star 9 to raise your hand. Each speaker has 3 minutes. A countdown timer will appear for the convenience of the speaker and the viewers. Please make sure to unmute yourself when you're invited to do so and your microphone will be muted at the end of that countdown. And I would like to reiterate that this is for items that are not on the agenda tonight. Thank you, Chair Wicks. Sorry, we're playing some catch-up on the tech side over here. We are on at 4 public comments. We have two hands raised. I'll go ahead and first is Anna Salgado. We're going to give you permission to speak. You can unmute yourself and once you start speaking the timer will start. Good afternoon. I don't know if you can hear me. I'm having problems. Here's one moment. We're moving one of the interpreters over. Like we said in the games meeting, anybody watching or listening, we're still learning how to use this side of the technology so if you can give us as much patience as possible. Good afternoon. I'm listening to you. Yes, I was listening. I was thinking that I want to comment on what happened. I wanted to comment on that. I had a problem with the translation. And I also wanted to say something about you that was failing me. No, I just wanted to let you all know that I wanted to speak when my turn comes but not this moment. It's just that I wasn't able to get any signals. So I said I was just trying to test to see whether you hear me or not. Thank you very much. Thank you. All right. Thank you. Next we have a phone caller. Their last four digits, their phone number is 5549. We're going to give you permission to speak now. And you'll have to press star six caller to be able to speak. Yes, you can hear me. Hello, my name is Dwayne Dewitt. I'm from Roseland. I'm calling because I believe that the planning commission could follow the model of the Santa Rosa City Council and begin to hold these meetings again in person at the Santa Rosa City Council chambers with appropriate social distancing. We've all known how to wear the masks now after 18 months. So please make these meetings accessible again to the community. If you just saw by the difficulties that you have with the technology, it actually is a burden upon the community also. And it would be nice if you'd start the meetings later in the day now because you don't have that many things that you deal with. You could hold these meetings after 515, 530. So the working class people could get home and they could get out to a meeting or participate in this hybrid approach that the City Council is taking with Zoom and telephone calls and in person. It's really important because during the last 19 months since I actually was able to be at a planning commission meeting where some dishonesty occurred, a lot of people in my neighborhood over in Roseland Creek have lost faith in how our city government is operating and how the appointed officials are representing not necessarily representing communities, but I guess some might say points of view and interest, special interests. It's difficult for communities such as mine, a disadvantaged, underserved, overburdened community which has the lowest human development index in all of Sonoma County since the 2014 portrait of Sonoma County declared that and then our next two census districts of Roseland and Sheppard were at the bottom of the barrel and we're not getting service because we don't have people represented on these boards and commissions. We've gotten one man elected and has to split his interests with so we're still struggling to get any kind of fairness, social equity, balance, environmental justice. The important things you're supposed to be looking at in the general plan update which most folks haven't been informed about and essentially everybody's operating in the dark except you folks who are already in the know and have the good to go. So please take these comments into consideration and bring back meetings to Santa Rosa City Hall and do it after 5.15 or 5.20 in the evening so working class people can attend. Thank you, Mr. DeWitt. Any other public, I don't see any other hands raised. Thank you, Chair Weeks. No, not at this time. No one else is raising their hand. Thank you. So with that I will go ahead and close the public comment portion and bring it back. And I'd like to start off item 5 by reading our statement of purpose. Planning commission is charged with carrying out the California planning and zoning laws in the City of Santa Rosa. Duties include implementing of plans or ordinances and policies relating to land use matters, assisting in writing and implementing the general plan and area plans, holding public hearings and acting on proposed changes to the zoning code, zoning map, general plan, tentative subdivision maps, and undertaking special planning studies as needed. So with that I'll move on to any committee reports from commissioners? Nope. Okay. So no committee reports and now we'll move on to commissioner reports. Are there any report, anything that the commissioners would like to report out? Okay. Therefore we'll go to department reports. Mr. Triple. Good afternoon, Chair Weeks and members of the planning commission. Thank you for your time this afternoon. We do have a few items on our department report today. First the update on hybrid meetings. We continue to work diligently to prepare for that opportunity to host hybrid meetings which would allow us to be both in person at city in the city council chamber as well as provide access via zoom virtual meetings. So as soon as we are ready to make that step forward we'll let you know well in advance and we'll invite your participation either via zoom or at city council chamber. So along those same lines one of the factors that determines when we'll be able to move to hybrid meetings is the return to campus or city staff. At present that date is anticipated to be November 1st of this year. Finally looking at your planning commission activity for the month of October we do have a full agenda for the October 14th meeting. So we'll look forward to seeing you on October 14th. We have one study item and several public hearings and at this point in time however we do not have any meeting items for October 28th but we'll keep you updated on that meeting. Then looking forward to November if you've now looked forward at this point in time both of the regularly scheduled public hearings in November fall on federal holidays. So both Mike Maloney and I have reached out to Chair Wakes will be coordinating with her next week to review meeting items that are upcoming as well as look for an opportune time to reschedule and hold a special meeting in November to accommodate those cancellation of the regularly scheduled meeting. So stay tuned for that and as soon as that meeting is completed next week we'll be reaching out to you likely for availability. Next you should have received a communication from Mike Maloney regarding the joint city council planning commission study session of the general plan housing element. That date is scheduled for November 16th at 2 p.m. and I did see a shaking of a head so we'll verify with Mike and reissue that communication as necessary to make sure that you have ample opportunity to check your calendars and to reply with your availability. And then finally the short-term rental urgency ordinance that is in draft form will be coming before city council on October 12th because it is an urgency ordinance unlike other ordinances it does not come before planning commission prior to going to city council. If you've not had an opportunity to participate in any of the short-term rental meetings I would encourage you to do so. I believe there is an upcoming neighborhood meeting to receive comment about that urgency ordinance. And then as if you've been reading the news over the last week or so the governor has signed new bills that are related to land use. SB9 gives homeowners additional tools to add critically needed new housing and help ease California's housing shortage. And SB10 establishes voluntary streamlined process for cities to zone for multi-unit housing making it easier and faster to construct housing. And so as is the practice when new policy is established by the state we review that and review also our zoning code for required amendments to comply with state policy and then those amendments come before you. So we'll keep you posted on our review of the new policies as well as any study sessions that are needed or eventual reviews of zoning code amendments. Finally to echo chair's week's comments about translation this evening we are grateful to the community for requesting this translation service it is very important that we're providing opportunities for community participation by all members. And you know we also thank planning commission for the continuance of this evening's meeting item from our prior meeting so that we could prepare for translation services. I also want to acknowledge staff Mike Maloney, Michelle Montoya, Beatrice and Kristin A for the work that they've done to prepare for this evening's meeting. As was noted it is our first translated virtual meeting and there was a bit of learning curve there but I think we're looking forward to a successful meeting this evening and being able to expand our knowledge of providing outreach to communities. So with that that concludes the department report and we'll look forward to this evening's public hearings. Thank you chair. Thank you Mr. Triple. When I watched the last I think it was the economic development subcommittee meeting where they talked about short-term rentals they indicated that there would be kind of a condensed ordinance just addressing some of the issues going to the council condensed ordinance is not the right word but just addressing some of the issues going that would be going to council as an urgency item and that a more robust and comprehensive ordinance would be coming back later and that that is something we would see probably after the first of the year. That's correct. Yes, thanks for those additional details. So the condensed version is the urgency ordinance at which would allow us more time then it would it would place some regulations and would allow us more time than to work on a comprehensive ordinance. Thank you. So with that any statement of abstentions by commissioners tonight? Okay. Seeing none. We don't have any consent items which is item number eight. So item number nine is our scheduled items and our public hearings. The first item is item 9.1. It's a public hearing on erudite dispensary cannabis retail exempt from CEQA conditional use permit at 3059 coffee lane, ZUP19-056. This is an ex parte item. So Commissioner Carter we'll start with you. I have visited the site and have nothing further to share. Thank you. Commissioner Cisco? I visited the site and I have no new information to disclose. Thank you. Commissioner Duggan? I have visited the site and have no further information. Thank you. Commissioner Holten? I've also visited the site and I have no further information to disclose. Thank you. Vice Chair Peterson? I also visited the site and have no additional information to disclose. Thank you. And I also visited to the site and have nothing further to disclose. So with that, I believe Ms. Murray will lead us off. Good afternoon, Chair Weeks and members of the Planning Commission. I'm gonna just give me a second here. I can't talk and share my screen at the same time. So first I wanna apologize that my, can you see my screen? Yes, I wanna apologize that you don't get the standard PowerPoint format. So I'm gonna fumble through this with my PDF. I misplaced my slides. So anyways, the project before you is the Eurodite Dispensary. It's proposed at 3059 Coffee Lane. The project proposes an approximately 2,500 square foot dispensary, which will also provide delivery service. They will sell both medical and adult use products. It requires the conditional use permit, which is before you this afternoon. It also requires some level of design review. The conceptual front, street front is on the slide. So this is an aerial view that was taken, I think within the last couple of years, the site still has quite a bit of cleanup to do. This is a recent picture that I took during the site visit. There's still quite a bit of stuff on the site that would be removed as part of this project. So here's a kind of a neighborhood context map. The properties on the east side of Coffee Lane are all residential, yeah, they're all residential. And to the north, it's commercial and light industrial. And then to the east and to the south, it's more commercial uses. So the general plan and zoning, on the east side of Coffee Lane, those low density residential and RR20 up to the north directly east is low density residential with various residential zoning districts. And to the north and the project site, both have light industry, general plan land use designation, and the site has a general industrial zoning, sorry. The application was initially submitted in June of 2019 and later that year in October, the application was deemed to complete and a couple months later, we had a neighborhood meeting. On April 12th, 2021, we were in response to staff comments and issues raised, a revised set of plans was submitted. On August 12th, we were initially scheduled to come before the planning commission when the project was and the planning commission granted the applicant's request for a continuance to September 9th to allow some additional review of the traffic conditions. On September 9th, the item again was continued to September 23rd, this time due to a clerical error. And the September 23rd meeting, here we are, was re-noticed again. And I'd like to point out it was re-noticed in compliance with the zoning code in terms of the mail postcard and the press Democrat publication. The sign was posted about three days late. So the zoning code allows that the planning commission or the review authority in this case, the planning commission can act even with a defect in noticing. There's been a lot of noticing for this project, including the neighborhood meeting notice and of course, a couple of mail notices for the meeting being continued. So the original meeting and the continuance. So in terms of the California Environmental Quality Act, the project is exempt for a variety of reasons. It involves a new use at an existing structure with only minor exterior and interior modifications. It's infill development and it's consistent with the general plan for which an environmental impact report was certified back in 2009. In December, 2017, the council also, when the comprehensive regulations for cannabis were adopted, they reviewed this in relation to the environmental impact report. And yeah, and it's very similar and the use is very similar to uses that were examined for that. So here's the proposed site plan and I apologize, the next slide will help in terms of the floor plan, but the parking is a little bit, it was always difficult for me to see on this. So the parking is kind of, yeah, if you can see my cursor, there's parking back along this Northwestern property line and then this lower Southwestern area is currently part of the building, but they'll be opening up that wall right along here and this will be covered parking in here. The dispensary itself is only in this area that I'm circling with my mouse, my arrow, and then there's additional parking, including an ADA spot that goes out here. So parking, there are 10 parking spaces provided, which is consistent with the general plan requirement, I'm sorry, the zoning requirements. So here's the proposed floor plan entry over here and that parking I talked about was over here. So this slide shows proximity to schools. There's the closest school is North Valley School up to the northeast of the project site. The project site is shown by the yellow and red star. The state and city require, don't allow dispensaries within 600 feet of schools or other dispensaries and this slide, you can see that it's over 1,000 feet away from the dispensary, the school is 1,000 feet away, which is the red circle. I'd also like to say in response to Commissioner Inquiry, there are six known dispensaries north of Highway 12 and east of Highway 101. Those dispensaries include, let's see, Flora Terra, Aloha Aina, Sonoma Patient Group, Alternatives Health Collective, let me see. Hi, Humanity Wellness and The Hook. The closest of those six dispensaries are Flora Terra and Aloha Aina and those are both about a half a mile away, which is significantly more than 600 feet. I'm showing the current elevation now again, so that you can see side by side the proposed elevations, which is a nice change, I think. As I talked about on the site plan, on the lower north elevation, the lower image, the building, as you can see, they're opening up that backside so that there's covered parking back there. During staff's review, a couple of issues came up, on-site parking and general site plan configuration in terms of safety and whatnot. We're addressed, those were addressed on those revised plans that came in in April and then a trip generation that triggered a traffic impact study, which has been done and the traffic impact study concluded that there's no significant impact anticipated based on this new use. There are no other unresolved issues or there are no unresolved issues. In terms of public comments, I received one email which was included in the packet provided for the project and I received a phone call. In both cases, they brought up traffic circulation in the area, which was addressed in the traffic impact study, which was, by the way, reviewed by our traffic engineering division, Rob Sprinkle specifically, and over-concentration of cannabis retail facilities. And as I said earlier, the closest cannabis retail facility to this site is half a mile away. So with that, it's recommended by the Planning and Economic Development Department that the Planning Commission, by resolution, approve a conditional use permit for erudite dispensary to operate a cannabis retail facility with delivery service at 3059 Coffee Lane. And for those of you that are calling in and can't see my slide right now, my name again is Susie Murray. My phone number is 707-543-4348 and I do answer my telephone and I do return my phone calls. And my email address is smuray at srcity.org. And that concludes my presentation. If the Planning Commission has any questions for me, I'm happy to answer them. The applicant is also available as our city staff and the applicant is not planning a presentation, but again, is available for questions. Thank you, Ms. Murray. So any questions for Ms. Murray before we open the public hearing on this item? Okay, seeing none. So I will go ahead and open the public hearing. If you wish to make a comment via Zoom, please select the raised hand button. If you are dialing in via telephone, please dial star nine to raise your hand. Each speaker has three minutes. A countdown timer will appear for the convenience of the speaker and viewers. Please make sure to unmute yourself when you're invited to do so. Your microphone will be muted at the end of that countdown. If you are listening on the Spanish channel and wish to make a public comment, turn off or leave interpretation entirely at the time you hear your name called so you join the main channel to make your public comment heard and translated into English. The icon may now look like a circle with an EF in the middle and the word Spanish underneath. You can then rejoin the Spanish channel at the conclusion of your comment to continue listening in Spanish. Thank you, Chair Weeks. No one is raising their hand at this time. So I'll wait. Second Chair Weeks, looks like we just got a hand raised. It's my moment. Okay. And the color is Michael Hilber. If when you start speaking, the timer will start. Hello, I want to express concern about what was said regarding defects and the notice for this project and this meeting. So I wasn't entirely clear on the details regarding that, but it's highly important that all the neighbors get proper notice and the details and the meeting and all this stuff so that they can provide their input. So I will ask you to take that into consideration and perhaps just suspend a vote on this to the extent that there was inadequate public notice. That's all I will conclude there. Thank you, Mr. Hilber. Is it anyone else that you see, Mr. Maloney? No one else is raising their hands at this time. Okay. So with that, I will go ahead and close the public hearing on this item. And Ms. Murray, if you could go over again the history of the public noticing. I certainly will. The, when we did a public notice for a neighborhood meeting way back in 2019, when the project finally went to public hearing, we went ahead and re-noticed that public hearing for the, I believe it was the August 12th. Let me see if I can bring up my slide so I can see that again. I believe it was for the August 12th meeting. And at that point, the item was continued to a date certain, which was September 9th. At the September 9th meeting, the item didn't make it onto the agenda due to a clerical error. So we again, continue the item to today, to September 23rd. And for this meeting, a new notice was sent. The discrepancy is that the noticing that's required includes a mailed notice to property owners and occupants within 600 feet, a published notice in the press Democrat and a public hearing sign posted on site. And it requires all of those 10 days in advance. The mailed notice went out on time. The publication was done in advance, 10 days in advance. And the sign was posted three days late. It was only up for seven days for this meeting. The other sign was up earlier. So, and we've received one comment again via phone and one via email, which was included in the correspondence. Thank you very much. Any questions of staff at this time before we, Commissioner Siscoe, Pat, you're muted. Ms. Murray, just for our education, I'm noticing that in the staff report, the project, the zoning isn't consistent with the general plan. And typically we would be asked to rezone to get the general. And I appreciated your well, but just for our education, could you just go over that again while we're not doing the rezoning for this project to bring it in? Whoops, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cut you off. I thought you were done. I'm happy to explain that. The general plan land use designation for the property is light industry. The implementing zoning district for light industry is light industrial. The project site, the general plan designation is light industry. The zoning is general industrial, which is not consistent with light industry. In both the IL and IG, light industrial and general industrial zoning districts, a major conditional use permit is required for a cannabis dispensary. So there would be no benefit to the rezoning, no extra requirements for the project to do the rezone. Let's see, I had another point that I wanted to make. I'm just drawing a complete blank on that. Oh, I know. And then the findings required findings require that the project be consistent with the general plan. It also requires that the project be consistent with the site zoning. It does not require that the zoning and the general plan be consistent. So because there is no additional benefit to doing the rezone, it wasn't required. Great, thank you. Commissioner Duggan, do you have a question? Yes, this is more for the applicant team, but I noticed in the focus traffic study, the site plan they used for the parking was different than the site plan in your slide 10. And I'm wondering if there were any implications with that because they noted that the site circulation was adequate, but using an older, I think site plan. Could we ask the applicant to raise their hand so that Mr. Maloney can promote them? Thank you. And also if you could state your name for the record. Before you start. My name is Jeff Linden. And I'm one of the applicants, shareholders in the business and the COO. So if I understand the question, I'll try to answer it. There's a difference in the two site plans. I think that we redid the site plan based upon setbacks, but the parking plan should be consistent from one to the other. I'm not sure. I'd have to take a look at both plans because I have a set of plans on a PDF and it should be consistent with what Ms. Murray put forth. So I'm not sure where the inconsistency is. I'd have to have to figure that out. But the parking is consistent. The driveways are consistent. All of those should be the same. We haven't changed them. It was just the site plan in the traffic study shows like four or five that are parallel to the Northern property boundary and not perpendicular like the ones that are in the building. Okay. I don't know. I think there was that the site. Now I understand. Yeah. The latest one is the one that are perpendicular because we redrew them. That's what the revision that the city staff asked for and we went back and redrew them. So that's the latest one is the one with the perpendicular and not the parallel parking. And that's the inconsistency that we redid this plans to fit the requirements asked of us by city staff. Any other questions of staff or the applicant? Would somebody like to make a motion? Commissioner Siscoe? Indeed that. Go ahead and move a resolution of the planning commission of the city of Santa Rosa and making findings and determinations, including a use permit for cannabis retail facility with delivery service, providing product and adult use located at 3059 coffee lane file number CUP-056. And we're further reading of the text. Thank you. Is there a second? I'll second. Thank you. Okay, so that was moved by Commissioner Siscoe, seconded by Vice Chair Peterson and now we can have discussion. So Commissioner Carter, any comments? My only comments are that the location and the design of the facility seemed to be adequate for the use proposed. And I believe I can make all the necessary findings and we'll be supporting the project. Thank you. Commissioner Siscoe? I'll also be supporting the project. I think the improvements to the building are going to be an improvement to the neighborhood. That's what we keep seeing with these projects is updating our industrial areas and making them look much improved. So with that, I can make all of the findings and we'll be in favor of the project. Thank you. Commissioner Duggan? I can also make the required findings and I'm in favor of the project. And I think it'll be a nice update to the site. Thank you, Commissioner Holton. I can also make all the required findings for the project and also be in support of the project. Thank you, Vice Chair Peterson. I don't have much to add. I think this looks like a good project. I think it'll be a contribution in the neighborhood. I don't have any concerns about the notice issue. I think that was adequately addressed. And so I can make all the required findings. Thank you. I also can make all the required findings. It's a pretty straightforward proposal and consistent with city regulations and policies. And I think it also will be an improvement to the neighborhood. So with that, the resolution was moved by Commissioner Sisko and seconded by Vice Chair Peterson. Mr. Maloney, if you would call roll. Yes, thank you, Chair Weeks. Commissioner Carter? Aye. Commissioner Sisko? Aye. Commissioner Duggan? Aye. Commissioner Holton? Aye. Vice Chair Peterson? Aye. And Chair Weeks? Aye. So that passes with six ayes. Mr. Maloney, would you like us to take a break before the next item? I think that would be nice for the interpreters. We can take a short break. Even just a five minute recess would be great. Okay, so if we could be back at 5.22. Mr. Maloney, are we ready or do you need a few more minutes? Thank you, Chair Weeks. Staff is ready when you are. Thank you so much. Okay. So item 9.2 is a public hearing, old school cannabis. It's a CEQA exempt project, conditional use permit, 100 Sebastopol Road, CUP 21-027, continued from September 9th, 2021. This is an ex parte item. So I know we did that last meeting, but we'll do it again this meeting. So Commissioner Carter. I have visited the site. One moment, Chair Weeks. Okay. Christine, can you please stop sharing your presentation? Thank you. Commissioner Carter. I did visit the site and meet with an applicant representative previously. And I have nothing further to disclose. Thank you. Commissioner Sisko? I have visited the site. I had a very short conversation with the applicant's representative today and have no new information to disclose. Thank you. Commissioner Duggan? I visited the site and had a meeting with the project applicant on site and have no new information. Commissioner Holton? I did visit the site. However, I did not have a meeting with the applicant. I have nothing further to disclose. Thank you. Vice Chair Peterson? I visited the sites and have no additional information to disclose. And I also visited the site and had a couple of phone messages from the applicant but we were never, or applicants representative, but we were not able to connect and I have nothing further to disclose. So with that, Ms. Chumins, you want to lead us off? Yes. Thank you, Chair Weeks and members of the Planning Commission. This is Old School Cannabis at 100 Sevastopol Road. The project includes a variety of cannabis uses. A large portion of the existing building on site will be used for cultivation, about 17,000 square feet. The second largest portion would be the retail on site consumption and delivery which is about 23, 350 square feet and there will also be distribution at 870 square feet and volatile manufacturing at 500 square feet. The retail hours that are proposed are nine to nine, seven days a week. This is the project location in Roseland in the southwest quadrant of the city. Here is an aerial view of the project site. It's a former school, most recently a charter school that's been vacant at the site. This is a street view of the project site off of Sevastopol Road. This slide shows the project location in relation to the nearest cannabis retail dispensary. The cannabis retail dispensary is known as Unipopia and it was approved at the location at 443.navenue and it's outside of the 600 foot radius of the site. So because of that, there is no over concentration per code of retail dispensaries should this project get approved. This is the general plan and zoning designation for the site. What's a little bit unusual about this project site is the general plan designation. There's two general plan designations. So the first third of the parcel towards the front third of the parcel running on Sevastopol Road has a medium residential general plan designation. And the building sits on the portion that is designated general industry and the entire parcel is zoned for a light industrial because the building and all the uses will be in the general industry, general plan designation and because the zoning is light industry this use would be allowed with a conditional lease permit. So here's the existing site plan. There's a small industrial or retail building in the front. There's a shared parking lot and the former school has an L shaped configuration and it has frontage on Sevastopol and Timothy Road. There's an existing chain link fence surrounding the property as well. This is the proposed site plan. It would include a new security fence and swing gates. It would be see-through wrought iron along Sevastopol Road and the applicant proposes a block wall along Timothy Road with some vine plantings to curb graffiti. Something to note, the red circle there is the on-site consumption lounge. It's located towards the front of the building off to the east. The applicant is, so the entire parcel will be fenced but there will also be an internal fence enclosure and this will aid in the safe transfer of goods to and from the building. It would allow for safe deliveries in and out and the retail portion is still accessible towards the front by the public. So it helps to segregate internal employee uses and public customer uses. So as far as parking, the site is over-parked. There are 28 spaces required for all the different cannabis uses proposed and there are 60 spaces available. So there's more than enough parking on the site. Here's a floor plan of the building, how it would be utilized for the different uses. As you can see all the back of house, cultivation, distribution, manufacturing would be towards the back and the retail and outdoor lounge is towards the front. Here is the proposed elevation that the applicant is proposing. It would include, we can see in the dark brown structure would be the consumption lounge. And one thing to note about the consumption lounge because of the city's smoking ordinance that applies to not just tobacco but all types of smoking, the on-site consumption would be limited to anything that is not smoking related. So no smoking or vaping. And here's an entry perspective of the front of the building. Here is existing and proposed existing photo of the project site along the possible road and the proposed rendering of what it would look like with that chain link fence removed and replaced with the wrought iron fence and the various improvements that would occur in the parking lot. And you can see there were some portable buildings. I believe those were removed and are no longer on the site. This is the view from Timothy. So as I mentioned before, rather than chain link, the applicant is proposing a solid block wall fence and there would be a gate at that Timothy road at Triboy. So this project is exempt from CEQA for a variety of reasons. It involves a change of use which will require minor exterior modifications to the structure and site. The project involves minor modifications in existing facility with no expansion of use. It's an infill development project and it's also consistent with the general plan and the Rosan area subsoil road specific plan. So staff did receive some correspondence regarding this project. Some were received prior to the earlier September meeting. Since then we've received two voice messages. One was in Spanish and was translated for me. It was a very short message that stated that simply they just didn't want to dispensary in the neighborhood. It didn't elaborate as to the reasons or didn't speak further. The other voice note was in English and it was from a former alum from when that project site was a school and was disappointed in the proposed use and was concerned with negative elements that would be introduced to the neighborhood. Late correspondence was provided to the planning commission as well. Concerns include the proximity of the cannabis dispensary to residences and families and the library and to the other retail dispensary at .NET Sebastopol. Because the project appears to meet all the findings they've provided a odor mitigation plan in a traffic memo and there's plenty of parking for the site and the applicant is providing security and lighting. The planning and economic development department recommends that the planning commission approve a conditional use permit to allow cannabis retail and delivery cultivation for manufacturing and distribution uses located at 100 Sebastopol road. And here's my contact information if anyone has any questions that they would like to direct to me. Staff is available for comments and questions and the applicant also has a PowerPoint presentation that they would like to share. Thank you. Any questions of staff before we hear from the applicant? Chair Weeks, could we take a brief pause to reconnect with the translators? Yes, five minutes. That should be plenty. Yes, thank you. So we'll be back at 5.38. Thank you, Chair Weeks. Staff is ready with you. Thank you so much. Okay, so I believe we were at the point that if, are there any questions of Ms. Chumians before we hear from the applicant? Okay, seeing none, then if the applicant could raise their hand so Mr. Maloney can promote them and if you could, before you start if you could please state your name for the record. Good afternoon. My name is Nagyeli Rivera. Thank you. And do you have a PowerPoint presentation? I do. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Chumians. Okay, go ahead. Thank you. Good afternoon commissioners and staff. Thank you for your time today and for allowing me to speak about our proposed project located at 100 Sabastopol Road. My name is Nagyeli Rivera and I am one of the owners of old school. We are seeking approval to operate a cannabis business which will do cultivation, manufacturing, distribution and retail. Next slide, please. Myself and Sadie Hunter are partners in this business. I've known Sadie for many years. She was born and raised in Northern California, like myself. She is the general manager of Cannadel, a cannabis dispensary near Anadel Park in Santa Rosa. She has been in cannabis for a long time and is a strong advocate for cannabis, patient rights and policy reform. Next slide, please. What about me? I was born and raised right here in Sonoma County. My father and mother immigrated to Sonoma County in the mid 1970s. I am a first generation Mexican-American woman. My father has worked in the Latino community for over 30 years. He works in immigration services and has done a lot of outreach in Roseland area as well as Sonoma County as a whole. At an early age, he would bring me to work and I began assisting him with immigration services. I have seen Roseland develop over the years and I support the culture and the community. The early work I did in Roseland with my father created a passion in me to be of service to my community. After graduating high school, I continued to work as an interpreter. I worked with the Sonoma County Office of Education as well as the deaf and hard of hearing community. My family also owns a farm labor contracting company out of Napa. I began working with my family in the late 2000s. This sparked my passion for business and entrepreneurial pursuits. Next slide, please. As you can tell, Old School is a proud woman-owned and led business. It is of utmost importance for us to use our platform not only to uplift women in the cannabis industry but women in all businesses. I feel very honored and grateful to be given this opportunity to form this business and connect back with my roots as well as work in an industry I'm extremely passionate about. Next slide, please. Old School will be a vertically integrated company meaning it will follow the life cycle of the plant to the shelves. We plan to have indoor growing facilities as well as manufacturing facilities to make different products. Our distribution will service other dispensaries as well as our own retail store on site. We are creating a state of the art indoor growing facility and we will grow the best cannabis yet. It was very important to me that my company have complete control over the entire process so that we make the very best medicine for our patients and consumers. The quality we intend to produce will rival other companies and put Rosalind on the map as one of the best cultivators in the state. I wanna be able to tell people and the public exactly how their products were made. I feel this transparency gives consumers more confidence and trust in the products they use. I think it's important that our community sees this operation as not just a business but an opportunity to educate and bring more knowledge and support to the cannabis industry as a whole. While highlighting the positive effects it can have on the local economy. Next slide, please. As I mentioned about myself earlier, volunteering in the community are close to my heart. When Sadie and I made the decision to move forward with this project, we knew we both wanted our new business venture to do good and elicit change for the betterment of our community. We created the community plan in order to set our intentions from the beginning. This is something both Sadie and I have been very passionate about. We would love to attract and hire locally and tap into the diverse talent pool in the Rosalind community and the greater Santa Rosa. Once our business is operational and cashflow positive we plan to not only make monetary donations but encourage volunteering of our staff. Some of the programs we've reached out to are social advocates for youth, the living room, by talent and becoming independent which is right down the road from us. Next slide, please. A couple of weeks we were able to meet some of our neighbors and discuss this project as well as hosting a community meeting at the facility to give our neighbors a chance to walk through and ask questions. As I mentioned on the last slide it is important that our neighbors have direct access to us so that we may answer any questions or concerns. We have also received a letter from the community wishing there was more space for cultural events and educational functions. We are hopeful that we will be able to host a number of events and we are open to creating a safe space for community engagement. We are entertaining a lot of community ideas for artwork and murals inside and outside of the dispensary. And we would love to work with local artists and embody the culture of Rosalind. We wanna hear ideas and feedback especially on how we can potentially use our resources to better serve the community. Next slide, please. Our business operation was designed to comply with both local and state standards. Order mitigation equipment such as carbon filters will be implemented throughout the entire facility. State of the art hydroponic systems that are designed to recycle water so that maximum water conservation is used. State of the art technology such as LED lighting will minimize our carbon footprint. Hending approval from your commission, we will pursue the following licenses for each of the cannabis use types of our facility. Again, the licenses would be for retail, cultivation, distribution and manufacturing. Next slide, please. I truly believe our project will benefit the community in the greater Santa Rosa area. Please feel free to reach out to me anytime for any questions or concerns. My information is listed both on this slide deck and at the proposed site. Again, thank you for this opportunity to speak and share our business with the Planning Commission and the Santa Rosa community. Before I close, I'd like to quickly address any Spanish speaking members of the community that are here with us today. Mi nombre es Nayeli Rivera. Mi familia emigró de México a los Estados Unidos en los 70s. Mi papá ha trabajado con la comunidad latina del condado de Sonoma por 30 años, ayudando a nuestra comunidad a legalizarse. Por parte de su trabajo, tuve la oportunidad de trabajar de traductora para inmigración al igual a otros programas sociales. Mi familia entera ha apoyado la comunidad latina del condado de Sonoma por más de 40 años. El propósito de nuestro proyecto es brindar a la comunidad un espacio donde podamos compartir y aprender juntos para mejor apoyar nuestra comunidad. Queremos crecer con la comunidad y ofrecer programas comunitarios al igual que promover el arte de nuestra juventud de Rosalind y servir como defensores a la juventud. Nuestro deseo es que habrá el estigma asociado con cannabis en la comunidad latina. A través de la educación podemos extender los beneficios médicos de cannabis a nuestra gente para que puedan tomar ventaja de esos beneficios. Como dueña, me gustaría extenderle la invitación a que compartan con nosotros sus sugerencias y sus preocupaciones. Me gustaría trabajar con ustedes para conocer más acerca de las necesidades de la comunidad y así apoyar a los programas locales que contribuyen al bienestar de la comunidad de Rosalind. Tenemos la intención de crear una relación con la comunidad que se mantenga por muchos años más. Muchas gracias por su tiempo y agradezco de corazón su apoyo de antemano. Again, thank you to the commissioners for allowing us to speak and for allowing us to present our project. Thank you, Ms. Rivera. Any questions of the applicant before we go to the public hearing? Okay, seeing no questions at this time. So I would like to go ahead and open the public hearing on this item. If you wish to make a comment via Zoom, please select the raise hand button. If you are dialing in via telephone, please dial star nine to raise your hand. Each speaker will have three minutes. A countdown timer will appear for the convenience of the speaker and viewers. Please make sure to unmute yourself when you're invited to do so. Your microphone will be muted at the end of that countdown. If you are listening on the Spanish channel and wishing to make a public comment, turn off or leave interpretation entirely at the time you hear your name called. So you join the main channel to make your public comment heard and translated into English. The icon may now look like a circle with an ES in the middle and the word Spanish underneath. You can then rejoin the Spanish channel at the conclusion of your comment to continue listening in Spanish. Thank you, Chair Weeks. We also wanted to give a one-time reminder if anyone's speaking in Spanish, if we can please only speak about three to four sentences and pause, giving the commenters or the interpreters time to interpret what you said and to allow for accurate interpretation. So again, if you can say about three to four sentences, men pause and then you can continue. Additionally, it's going to be, we're going to be playing a three-minute timer twice. So you'll get six minutes to allow time for the interpretation. So you'll see the countdown go from three to zero, three minutes to zero, and then we will restart the timer in three because we do not have a six-minute time. And with that, our first speaker with their hand raised is April Reza. Hello, Planning Commission. And I just want to greet everyone who's also listening as a fellow member of your community. I just wanted to come here and kind of just speak my piece to this issue. We gathered past weekend with several youth from the community who raised lots of concerns. And so I just wanted to raise these concerns publicly here in this space. One of the main concerns was, what is the need for a cannabis dispensary in the Roseland area? Currently, within the five mile radius, there are already 14 operating dispensaries. Within that same five mile radius, there are eight schools operating schools. And in the past, the city has done reports like the Roseland final report that's presented as a part of this project. And nowhere in those reports is there stated a need for cannabis dispensary in this area. But there are stated needs for community spaces, for after school programs, for childcare, for culturally relevant opportunities for the community. In terms of businesses in that report, they report desiring small locally owned businesses. And I just feel that it's important to acknowledge what the community has already advocated for in the past, what they've continually advocated for. And to acknowledge the fact that these demands have not been met, these asks, these desires have not been met by the planning commission. And so I'd like to ask, what is it going to take to have these things met for the community who has been studied and has offered their reporting back? This cannabis dispensary and my respect to the women who are presenting it, my respect for their experiences, for their stories, I wanna honor that, but this business in itself is not something that's desired by the Roseland community at large. And in Spanish, I also want to say that if the plant is marijuana, if it is recognized in the community as a medicinal plant, the community already knows that. What they don't like is the fact that this plant is being exploited. The same goes for the exploitation of the population here in Roseland. It's not okay to capitalize on the community in this way. And I think that's all I wanna say today. But thank you so much for having a second meeting so that the Spanish speaking community of Roseland can have an opportunity to speak. Thank you. Excuse me, thank you. Chair Weeks, because that one was in English, I just wanted to state that it's gonna be a six minutes for when we are receiving translation. So for that one will be just three minutes, which means I can call on the next, which is Ana Salgado, you now have permission to speak. Buenas tardes. Sí, adelante. Mi nombre es Ana Salgado. Y quiero más que nada reconocer el ánimo que tiene la persona que está aplicando para este permiso. Y lo maravilloso de su presentación. La razón que yo estoy aquí es porque desde el 90, yo llegué a vivir en esa área y he sido testigo de muchas cosas que pasan en el área. Y cuando ella estaba explicando el desarrollo de este plan que ella tiene, yo me estaba imaginando un lugar atractivo de actividades para los jóvenes y para las familias, como un centro comunitario. A lo largo de los años, como me había dicho, he visto como familias se han destruido por el uso de esta hierba. Esos lugares que ella menciona, donde su familia ha ayudado, esos lugares han sido refugio de muchas familias quebradas por esta hierba, por el uso de esta hierba. La comunidad ahí es latina, en su mayoría latinos. Los latinos traemos ya cargando una ola de malos recuerdos porque por esta hierba se han matado familias completas. Incluso ahora hay una gran emigración de familias completas de los estados donde más se siembra esta hierba. No queremos traer eso a Ruslan, ya suficientes problemas tiene para con esto. Entiendo que nos debemos de educar, pero no creo que es el tiempo ahorita para lucrar y capitalizar a nuestra juventud y seguir ganando dinero a costas del sufrimiento de nuestras familias latinas. Felicidades, señorita, por toda su presentación, pero creo que su negocio no pertenece a esta área. Puede llevársela a otro lado y crear trabajos en otro lado y dejar en paz el área de Ruslan que bastante tiene que ofrecerle a nuestra juventud y a nuestras familias latinas y a las demás. Muchas gracias por escucharme. And one moment, Chair Weeks, because we were not having a translator at that moment. Charles, are you able to be planning on translating after there are three minutes or in between? I can go ahead and do it after it looks like. Okay, we weren't sure, so we were. Preferably we would pause, but it's okay, I can do it this way this time. Okay. Good evening, my name is Anna Salgado. I want to recognize the energy and charisma of the person applying for this permit and recognize the marvelous presentation. But the reason that I'm here in this meeting is that I've been here since the 90s. I've lived in this area and I've been witness to many things that have happened in the area. When she explained the development plan that she has, I first imagined an attractive area with activities for kids and family members like a community center over the years. I have seen families destroyed due to the use of this herb. Those locations like a community center have been refuted for many families and many families in this area are Latinos and we already carry many bad memories. Even entire families have been killed due to this plant. And now there's even an emigration from states that cultivate this herb openly and we don't want to bring this plant to Roseland. I understand it's important to educate ourselves on it, but I don't think that this plant has a place here. So I just wanted to say congratulations, Miss, on your presentation, but I believe that the business does not belong here. I think it would be better if you were to take it to another location somewhere else and please leave Roseland alone. Thank you for listening. Thank you. The next speaker we have is spelled out J-O-B-E-L-L. I'm gonna go ahead and give you permission to speak and if you can please state your name for the record. And again, if you are gonna be speaking in Spanish, anybody on this call, if you could do three or four sentences and then give a long enough pause for the interpreter to jump in and they will interpret it at that point. If you have any questions, please let us know when it's your turn to speak. Again, Joe Boe, you now have permissions to speak. And the time of the start would be... Hi, my name is Joel Lee and I'm a member of the community. I just wanted to get on this call and say thank you for the wonderful presentation. I also, I am in support of this plan. You know, yes, I'm in support. It will build up economic wealth within the Rosalind community, which I think is extremely important. And because it is run by members of the community and not somebody coming from the outside, this is the heart of where they live. And so they actually care about what happens within the community, especially since one of the owners is a Latina woman from Northern California. Also, I think it would be a disservice to not allow this dispensary and cultivation to happen here because it's such a large space. And I just imagine what other companies could come in and take this space and not care about the community, not be involved in the community, not had years of experience with volunteering within the community. And we've seen time and time again, big corporations come in and take over large portions of small areas that really we need local people to be running these businesses, hiring people from the community and giving back to the community in this way. Also, dispensaries that are run by the community will help, I know a lot of people may be concerned about crime rising and things like this because it is a legal well-run facility. It will actually diminish crime in the area, I believe, because if you have a place that is safe, legal and open to procure the products that you're already seeking, that means that illegal sales will be taken off the streets. There will be education and quality products provided to the people who need this medicine and that is helpful for the community. And in the response to not wanting a dispensary in Roseland, to my understanding, there is already a dispensary in Roseland. I'm not sure who owns it or who runs it, but I would be happy to see this go into action so that these community members can uplift and build Roseland more and make it a place and a destination for the Latino or the Latinx community and really build up the economic wealth there. So that's it, thank you so much. Thank you. Joly, thank you for your patience, everyone. Next on the list is Jocelyn Toscano. And again, if you are speaking in Spanish, anyone if you can please speak for three to four sentences and then give a break for the translator to be able to jump in and translate for the country. Thank you very much. Okay, hello, everyone. My name is Jocelyn Toscano. I am a representative of Mecha SRJC and I'm going to read a statement from us. We from Mecha SRJC oppose the approval of the permit of old school cannabis, 100 Sebastopol Road in Santa Rosa. The permit was filed for retail, with delivery, on-site consumption, cultivation, distribution and manufacturing of cannabis products. We are concerned for the community and the impact of opening this cannabis dispensary in the rosin community, especially at a building that was formerly a safe space to educate minors. Our question is why is the permit being filed for that building specifically when there are quite a few dispensaries in Santa Rosa already? Anywhere from a five to 15 minute drive from that location as was presented, as well as more schools such as an elementary school and a middle school, five and seven minutes from the location, where there are many children who walk home and pass by that specific location in the center of a predominantly Hispanic community setting. As well as the two sides of the building, there are residential areas as was presented. Some of the negative side effects that we have thought about that can happen there are increased policing, especially in the on-site consumption, which can lead, sorry about that, which can lead to an increase in policing, especially with on-site consumption, which can make a lot of Hispanic undocumented folks feel unsafe in their own community. And another one is an increase in secondhand purchasing in the area, which happens quite often at dispensaries, someone who is of legal age and able to purchase and distributing to other people who cannot or minors, as well as cannabis products manufacturing and processing, which can happen, that, as mentioned, can happen on-site. If the permit is approved, often involves chemical extractions through which solvents are used, which risk explosion. These concerns, we are questioning the outreach in the community, especially since many youth organizing groups and community members to not know about this petition until in the recent few weeks. We've proposed the building to be used for what it was intended to originally to educate the youth, for example, Rosen Public Library, a community center or a recreational center for the youths. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Thank you. Next, we have a Hans Herb. And though I am stating everyone's names from what they are listed, if everyone can remember to state their name for the record, it would be appreciated. Yes, thank you very much. I'm Hans Herb, and I'm here on behalf of the Citizen Cleanup Coalition. The Citizen Cleanup Coalition has been working in the Roseland since the mid-1990s to deal primarily with toxic problems. And over the years, we've focused on that particular end of Sebastopol Road as an area where we wanted to get additional attention to addressing potential toxic matters. And we were able to convince the US EPA to provide a very large grant, hundreds of thousands of dollars, to be used to help address toxic conditions in the neighborhood. And they are right now across the street from where this proponent proposes their facility in the process of putting together a detailed study so that the property can be sold for homes. And the owners of the properties that are involved in that area have been working for the last six years to find a home builder that will build homes in that area. And it's challenging, it's challenging because there's toxic problems in brown fields and they, not everyone wants to deal with a brown field. So we have had many, many people locally and from LA and all over look at this property. And the EPA has been very supportive of our work out there. But it's extremely challenging to get what we want to get done when additional impediments are put in our way. I listened to the applicant and they seem like really great people and they seem like they have a really great business model. And if they weren't building across from the project that we're trying to clean up, I would love the heck out of them. But right now, we're just perceiving him from an environmental perspective from our goal, which is cleaning up the environment, addressing toxics in the Roseland and something, I've been spending more than 30 years of my life doing. It's just disappointing because a lot of things never get done in the Roseland because some unintended consequence of something. If you look at the Rosendillage Shopping Center and some of these other things, people, well-intended people somehow end up creating additional problems. And I'm not blaming anyone. I'm just pointing out to you, this is gonna be a difficulty that we're gonna have as environmentalists from an environmental perspective, building homes in Sonoma County because this project is just gonna be perceived as an impediment. And so I just wanted to make you aware of that concern and thank you for holding public hearing. Thank you very much. Next, we have Thomas Keim. Hello. Yeah, really I wanna thank the commission for providing this public forum. And I've had concerns about this since I heard about it just a few weeks ago and they mirror those kind of the prevalent opinions of the community. I've lived nearby where this manufacturing, processing, distribution of marijuana products is proposed. And my concern is for that, I was talking to somebody, he has as a member of the, what it is is a marijuana anonymous public information committee. And they've been discussing this and the fact that we'd like to make resources available to people who are smoking a lot of pot and wish they weren't, who would like to stop smoking pot. And it could even be looked at as pandemic, particularly in our area, you might have heard the term Sonoma aroma or even experience that on beyonds. It's very prevalent here. So what we would like to see is, he mentioned that in casinos, they'll have a sign or notice pointing people to gamblers anonymous or something like that. But I hope that maybe the planning commission is in a position to put this as a caveat or a requirement or a condition that there be displayed, prominently displayed some sort of resource for people, perhaps a 12 step program. There's narcotics anonymous, which I understand deals with the problem of addiction regardless of the substance. I think there's marijuana anonymous meetings as well. And there are perhaps dry out facilities or whatever, but to make these resources available to people. And I don't question the goodwill of the ladies that are the face of this enterprise that are the owners of this enterprise toward the community. But I think that there, something in the way of a mandate and enforcement that would as the casinos have, to give people a chance to either avail themselves of the possibility of freeing themselves from a marijuana addiction that might be derailing their studies, their careers, their social lives, their family life, to give them that option to accept it or ignore it, just to put that out there for them. And it's a very lavish facility. It's gonna require, they're gonna have to sell a lot of dope. I mean, put it plainly, to make this thing work, they're gonna have to market a lot of pots. So we will hope for their cooperation in this matter. And at some level of city government, hopefully it's a planning commission level, we'll be able to reach people and give them an option to be free from this pandemic of marijuana addiction that we see all around us. Thank you for your time. Thank you, Mr. Keim. Next, we have a Janus. Maybe you can state your full name for the record. Actually, let me let you know, Janus, if you'd like, you can give us a call. The phone access number is down there, but it appears right now that you're using an older version of Zoom and it's not giving me the ability to remote you and give you permission to speak. So if you can please call that number at 888-475-4499 and use meeting ID 98808366416 and you'll be able to raise your hand via that phone number using star nine. If not, you can hop off this meeting, do an update to your Zoom and hop back in and re-raise your hand. We do have quite a few people with their hands raised and we would like to be able to hear from you, but at this time I do not have the ability to promote you to be able to speak. With that being said, I am going to move on to the next speaker, which is Ricardo Suarez. Okay. Good afternoon, everyone on the planning commission. My name is Ricardo Suarez, a senior at the new Rosen University Prep. I joined this call as a RUP Mecha representative. I want to state that I am against the plan proposed for this agenda item. It is disappointing to see that a placement he called a second home will be used to make profit off of my community without a diverse audience. On this webinar, I am also accompanied by multiple individuals from the new RUP and those who too are against opposed to this agenda item. We believe this location could be better utilized by creating a place that will allow community growth and engagement. There are currently eight K through 12 schools within a five-mile radius of the proposed dispensary location. I believe that my community would take much, would take a lot of time. I believe that my community would take much, would take a lot of time. I believe that my community would take much, would take much more advantage of a communal center that encourages cultural or artistic activities. Students, parents and community members desire a place that encourages strength, unity and knowledge. I have a friend whose name is Maria Valverde, who lives in the blue area covered on the slide presented, slides presented earlier to which he states he was never not notified of this proposal. And while having conversations with my peers at RUP, it is evident to me that we want to voice that as a dense community of Latinos, Hispanos, Chicanos, we feel targeted and would like to note that the Rosin community has a low income neighborhood that does not desire a dispensary. And after some research of our own and questioning the knowledge of my community, it is obvious that individuals were not aware of the proposal. And so questions, some of my questions become why, what was done to give public notice. I asked this from concern because I live close by and was never actually made aware of this. Aside from this, what other proposals have been considered for this property? Have we the community been asked what we think would most benefit us? I suggest creating a center for culture and art. This would be something that students, parents and community members would be happy to engage in. To end this public comment, I want to state that there is no need for this dispensary to do this. Thank you. Thank you. Next, we have a Marcella. Marcella, we're actually getting the zoom prompt that we are unable to promote you to panelists due to the version of zoom that you have. It looks like it appears to be an older version. So to be able to give your comment, you're welcome to give us a call. Again, that phone access number is on the screen right now on the slide, but I will read it out for anybody on the phone. It is 888-475-4499 using meeting ID 988-0836-6416. Again, that phone access number is on the screen. You can call there or you can leave the meeting and do an update to your zoom. But yes, if anybody else would like to, at this point, update their zoom or give a phone call in. If you're not sure if you have the latest version of zoom, it will be on the slide. If you have the latest version of zoom, it will be able to be helpful for us. Again, we're going to keep moving down the list. So at this time, Ann Marie Gianella, you are next. Please state your full name for the record. Hi, can you hear me? Hello? Yes, we can. Okay, great. My name is Ann Marie Gianella and I'm speaking in support of old school cannabis's proposal for growing manufacturing and providing a retail distribution facility in the formerly Roseland Charter School. Having two women lead in the cannabis industry by creating a cannabis center as the one proposed is a win for Sonoma counties. Having one of the women be a Mexican American who grew up in the Sonoma County is a fine example and opportunity for Latina leadership in our county. These women are demonstrating entrepreneurial foresight and leadership for our community. Old school cannabis not only has the opportunity to be a source of employment, but also a place of education and a cultural center for the uses and overall value of cannabis. It looks and sounds like careful thought has gone into this project and isn't something that would cause problems or harm. Unfortunately, there is a stigma around cannabis that is basically old school and outdated. It is a medicine that when used properly creates more good than harm. Many reports have increased criminal activity around facilities such as these or are our concerns based on unfounded fears. We are a county monopolized by its wine industry which in my opinion is more harmful to people and the environment and yet is not treated with the same stigma. There are currently 62,000 acres of grapes and 425 wineries in Sonoma County and currently there are only 142 cannabis dispensaries in Sonoma County. I'm unable to find the number of acres currently being grown for cannabis in Sonoma County but I know that the goal is to have 65,000 acres. If we're going to support the growing of cannabis in this county then we also need to allow the businesses that accompany them. Let's lead by showing that we can have thriving, industrial, industrious and responsible cannabis operations owned by women and supporting the Latinx community while also leading to change the stigma around cannabis. I have been a resident of Sonoma County for over 40 years. I have taught in Sonoma County for over 20 years as a teacher of many students. I have watched the landscape change from dairy and eggs to vineyards and wine. It's time we balance out the monopoly between women and wineries with more cannabis and more local women women owned businesses. Thank you for your time and your consideration. Thank you. You're on moment chairwigs. Next we have a Cliff Wiggum. Hello? Hello, my name is Cliff Wiggum. Can you hear me? Yes, we can. Go ahead. My name is Cliff Wiggum. I'm a property owner and resident of the Roseland area. I'm a resident of Roseland. It's located less than 400 feet away from this facility. This facility is not surrounded by light industrial. The property directly behind it going down Timothy, between Timothy and the railroad tracks down to Barham is general industrial. The rest of the property surrounding it is residential including the property directly north which the downtown station area specific plan and it has a zoning for a far for residential of 6.0 which means around 700 units will be built on the 310 acres directly north. All the property tenants now are all on legal non-conforming use permits and are on a month-to-month rental basis. They're prepared to move out when the properties go into contract with the major developer which we are negotiating with now. The property directly east is Village Station Housing. They have a lot of kids. They have a playground with swings and slides. You can see it from the street. The property directly west is the on-site landscaping. They are also on a legal non-conforming use permit. The property was built as a school and when we develop housing surrounding a nature of around a thousand houses considering how much is being built, we're going to need elementary school, daycare, preschool. I love the idea of even a library or a combination library and daycare. That would serve the community and the cannabis, I'm from San Francisco and I see them up there getting people to buy up where I'm going inside. But we want 700 units across the street from a place that they can just go out there and say hey, I'll give you $20. Go buy me two joints and you can keep the change. And that will happen. I guarantee it. This is not in the best interest of the future development plans of Santa Rosa or the future or current communities surrounding this site. Consideration needs to be given to other uses that are more beneficial to the community than a huge cannabis complex. It doesn't make social sense to my mind anyway and it will delay or prevent or cancel development projects which are underway. I appreciate your consideration and that's it. Thank you. Thank you. Next we have an NS. With 40 plus marijuana stores in Sonoma County and more coming, how many do we need? And more importantly, how many do we want? This is a huge neighborhood in compatibility issue and I can't believe that you the commissioners are actually even considering a consumption lounge on site. Even though smoking of marijuana products will be prohibited, ingestible marijuana products contain high levels of THC. Customers will be leaving the facility and driving impaired. The Rosa neighborhood is a high density one with many pedestrians including children and the elderly who they put at risk. Finally, I want to answer back to the applicants claim that quote, canvas dispensaries are medical facilities. I am an RN. They are not. They do not sell medicine as it is commonly known. Nor do the employed trained healthcare professionals. Their clientele are not patients. They are nearly customers. It is very loose and may I say very disingenuous use of a language to promote a drug that has been thoroughly that has not been thoroughly tested nor approved by the FDA. And finally, specifically, what oversight of regulations and follow up with the city of Santa Rosa employee if this mega marijuana factory is approved. Thank you. Thank you. Next, we have Jessica Rodriguez. My name is Jessica. I live just a few minutes around the block from the operation unit that's being proposed and I'm just here to echo the concerns of the many community members that have spoken for various reasons. This location does not seem suitable for a cannabis dispensary or cultivation unit from a community and planning standpoint. The campus itself could be utilized for a space that is dedicated to the community. And as it already provides the infrastructure needed to host community centered events, which have been a demand of various community groups. As your senior planner, Christine, to me and stated, this is a unique project because it will be on the larger side for cannabis facility facilities operating within city limits along with the lounge that would permit onsite use of cannabis, which is not normal at all. So I don't understand why this location would be deems suitable when it's been proven as so incompatible by so many community members. As it's been stated several times, the community of Roseland did not ask for this dispensary to be added to the neighborhood. Some of the concerns I want to express include the presence of police, the location of the current homeless encampments and the increased traffic on Sebastopol Road. Has the planning commission considered the implications of having this type of dispensary closely located to a neighborhood that is highly policed? Also, the intersection of Sebastopol and Timothy is known for being a hot spot for encampments. So whenever the city puts out an order to do it. Next, we have a Veronica Hadamillo. Good afternoon. My name is Veronica Hadamillo. I'm a current student at Roseland University Prep. I'm also the current co-chair of much of our RUP. Talking to my former members such as Ricardo, though, we decided that the building, the location where Roseland University Prep is not a wonderful location to build a dispensary since the previous it was a place for high school to teach minorities and Latinx community. And we believe that it should continue helping the community, especially the younger generation because most of the population's younger generation and the younger generation is the future generation, such as we could have a center for culture because I believe that more students and more children should be more connected with their culture and culture from other different parts of the world. In addition, many former students of mine did not know who lived right next to the houses there, did not know about this, and were not informed until I told them personally from being informed. I was just informed this week. I hope that whoever's planning it to be able to inform those who live there to be more informed and to know what the benefits are and then complications on where they live. I feel like it should continue being a place for minorities to teach them and to be helpful for the younger population and to serve as something that the community wants because what I've heard from the community, no one really asked for a dispensary. They asked for more help for schools, day care, services, resources, and I wish it could possibly be a food bank. What I've noticed is that mostly food banks around here are very far away and I know a lot of people enjoy volunteering there and I feel like it's more better for people to volunteer at a food bank than volunteer at a dispensary. That's all I conclude. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Thank you. Next, we have Jessica and Moe, if you can state your four names for the record. Yeah, hi. It's Jessica. People come here. I am in agreement with the facility that is being built on 100th Sebastopol Road. I currently live off Sebastopol Road as well on the other side. I would just like to speak on the fact that the other side of Sebastopol Road has a really bad homeless encampment on that side and it creates tons of toxic waste on that end of Sebastopol Road and also the other side of Highway 12. I mean, my house is in between both homeless encampments that have been there and I can honestly say that I would feel safer walking my two-year-old along the Iron Gate that they would be building versus in front of my own house where there are many empty businesses below all these houses and it's unfortunate that these people would be opposing new businesses blossoming in this area because I really hope that it could clean up the area. I also don't see an issue with it if it's proposed a safe space to cultivate. I also believe that there are lower crime rates that can happen with that and I also fully support a women's business. So that's just my two cents and I'd just like to say that. Thank you. Thank you. Next we have on Michael Hilber. Hello, yeah, my name is Michael Hilber and I'd like to go on record objecting to this. It's another example of how Rosalind is getting victimized by opportunists. People see Rosalind as a low-hanging fruit and things that get allowed here that wouldn't be allowed in the better neighborhoods of San Rosa. This place will be an eyesore. The renderings I see make it look like a prison yard with an iron six foot tall fence along the front and a concrete wall along the side and you know the proximity to other retail cannabis establishments. There's one right there on the corner of that and it's the basketball road inside where the jack-in-the-box is. So that suggests to me that the whole ordinance should be scrapped. What we're looking at is you know anything that's 600 feet or more is okay and that's just nonsense you know to suggest that we prepare ever 600 feet is okay and you know that makes me concerned about you know the people who are making the decisions with respect to these ordinances and I'd like to see you planning commissioners you know indicate some awareness that you know this is just not appropriate to say that all you need to have is six feet between them and you just have one after another. Yeah that's not at all appropriate and I've read a lot of the online comments on this you know I want you to recognize that there's a tremendous amount of opposition although not everybody can afford to attend these meetings and one of the comments was concerning that you know seemed to imply that there should be criminal background checks associated with people who are proposing these projects and I'd be inclined to agree that you know people connected with the dispensaries should have a you know background checks associated with everyone applying for the permit and they should be made public. It's also been noted that Rosalind has a gross overabundance of liquor stores and they're getting stinking rich selling the cheap vodka to people and when they're passed out as the taxpaying suckers you pick up the tab you know the fire department to come out and respond to a passed out individual who's just been in the process of making the liquor store rich and I want to make the observation that I see plenty of people you know simultaneously drinking the cheap vodka and smoking weed at the same time so I think your fire department has to respond to that we're being made suckers out of that's it. Thank you one moment chair. Mr. Maloney do the interpreters need a break at the moment? They have not indicated that we're just having a technical issue with the timer. Thank you. Next we have Aracio Mondragon Reyes. Yes hello I speak tonight as a private citizen who lives in the Rosalind district I was born and raised here and I'm a former Rosalind University prep student. I just want to bring up the concern as has been echoed multiple times about the increased policing that could come with this it surprises me that given that Ms. Rivera shared that she used to advocate for immigrants and specifically in the immigration field that she does not reason with the fact that while maybe criminalization rates may go down for US citizens or people do not who do not have a historically stigmatized relationship with the police that might not be the case for undocumented immigrants and Rosalind is an area that holds a large population of undocumented immigrants and I really think that these people who are some of the most vulnerable and historically lack the most voice including perhaps tonight are not being considered and are not being put at the forefront so I really want that to be considered because while there might be a stigma around cannabis there's also this very real fear that comes with being a everyday undocumented immigrant simply living their decent life earning a living decently and having increased policing in the area because of something that citizens would be gaining out of would not be beneficial to the undocumented population who also needs to be considered so I want that to be considered in other respects I also just am not of the beliefs that this is the way to foster the community as someone who was born and raised here and I don't think that being Latina or being a woman is enough merit to come in and bring in a business just because without considering the people that we're going to impact negatively while I have the utmost respect for the business development I do not think that this population has been considered in a thorough manner thank you thank you next we have a saline Lopez Saludio Salina just want to let you know that we're getting that same error code for so it states that there's an older version of zoom so you're welcome to leave this meeting and update your zoom come back in raise your hand we'd like to hear from you otherwise you can definitely give us a call at the phone number on the screen that we've provided a couple of times but it is on the screen there if you'd like to give us a call it using that meeting ID if that being said when I move on to Jesus Perez hello my name is Jesus Perez and I am also a current student at the new Rosen University prep and I am also here on behalf of my metro group and I wanted to start it off by saying that I have nothing but respect for the women here who are trying to start a business and make an honest living I truly respect that I however do not respect their intentions here at all they claim that they have great intentions by bringing what you call this business here for the economics and while I do agree to an extent there was a call we clearly could use a bit more economic backbone I don't agree that this is the correct message for that to begin with I use a call that place that they're trying to build it was a place that was a call that was made with the intention of helping us Latino and Latina students or Latinx students for sorry we'll go educated so we could strive for something better and the fact that they want to make it into a cannabis dispensary when there are already plenty of other dispensaries around the area and not only that but this was a call I have myself have seen was a call how students kids really have gotten easily access to marijuana and use it for not the correct purposes and I quite frankly don't think this was a goal something we need kids was a call will easily get access to this it does not take much to have a man woman or anyone really go up to the business who was legally say I'll give you 20 bucks here go buy me this unless we go someone else's books said keep the change they claim they want to help our community but I really only think that they're going to bring more problems with it on top of that I'm extremely disappointed by the name choice old school it's almost like they wanted to joke around that that used to be an old place it may or may not have been the attention but I quite frankly don't appreciate a gesture like that it's the equivalent of spit going to our currency when spinning on the legacy at bill as my fellow Metro Metro members has said we can use this place as a center for culture and art as a place for education well it was a call I fully support these women being able to go bring their businesses I think it was a call that the best thing they can do for this community is to please leave thank you for your time thank you thank you next we have an Amelia and Amelia I'm also getting that same prompt saying that you have an older version of zoom so you're welcome to leave the meeting and update your zoom and come back in you'd like to hear from you or you can give us a call at that phone number listed below on the slide the 888-475-4499 the meeting ID 988-0836-6416 with that being said next on the list is Nicole Shubman hello good evening thank you so much commissioners for giving me a chance to speak tonight and I appreciate you giving of your time to hear this honestly I am a resident of west Sonoma County since 1976 I have children that I raised in the same community that I was raised in and in hearing all of these comments tonight I am just more solid in my support of this project mainly because it is so apparent how much education we need surrounding cannabis you know there's just some of the comments tonight it is honestly a little bit shocking that such education is lacking and when you see the presentation tonight me as a business owner here in west Sonoma County a female latin business owner I just 100% support this because I feel like these women are the women that are going to come forward and are going to educate our community on really the benefits of medical marijuana on policy reform surrounding cannabis which quite frankly our state has legalized so we need to kind of catch up in our education of our community and these women seem to from everything I heard tonight want to embrace the community and to embrace the culture and to include them whether it's you know with events or giving of their property which as a business owner what I would say is that's extremely generous and I want to support other women who are here to do that for our community so that's that's pretty much my take on that and I appreciate your time and you know I look forward to visiting this dispensary hopefully thank you so much thank you thank you next we have a marcella and if you can please stay your full name for the record okay my name is Marcella Personas extrañas Carlos extraños a este a una velocidad que no deberían y otra cosa que nos preocupa es también porque este es un vecindario de familias donde hay muchos niños pequeños de hecho yo tengo tres hijos que anteriormente o salen a jugar y ya con esta situación así yo tengo especialmente tengo la preocupación que personas van a venir a entrar aquí porque yo vivo exactamente en en frente del de donde se quiere es donde se está proponiendo este negocio yo apoyo a la señorita o la señora porque es una hispanor porque es mujer apoyo que es una mujer emprendedora pero este negocio aquí no lo necesitamos no lo queremos y estaba escuchando que dicen que necesitamos educarnos pues entonces primero vengan y eduquenos y después vengan a proponer su negocio una vez educados quizás nuestra mentalidad entre comillas cambia y puede puede darse puede darse esto pero en realidad no estoy de acuerdo junto con muchos más vecinos que hemos estado hablando acerca de esta situación gracias I do not agree with this proposal because I live exactly in front at the apartments there on Timothy honestly we have a lot of issues with people who do not have homes around the area smoking marijuana and it is something that worries us in the neighborhood this because of this business more people will come even though the business proposal was publicly announced there are a strange people we've noticed strange cars going at speeds that they shouldn't be going and we are very worried because we are families with kids lots of little kids I have three kids as a matter of fact if my kids go out to play I'll be especially worried when these other unknown people begin to arrive I live exactly in front of the proposed location and I heard this heard the the person asking for the permit and that she is Hispanic that she is a woman and I'm glad that she's motivated and self driven but we do not want or need this business I heard her say that we should that we should receive education about it but well then I propose at first they come out and educate us and then propose the business after we receive this education we might quote unquote change our opinion but I do not agree with the business being there thank you thank you Charles for the interpretation next we have Ross are can you hear me yes we can yes we can hear you Ross once you start speaking the timer we'll start hi for the record my name is Ross Rafael I'm calling because I am in support of this business there was many good points made and I would like to mention the fact that some of the points about bringing crime or like essentially a kid to walk up to somebody and ask them to buy them cannabis products right we all know from our youth that there's many many other ways to get whatever you want and many are easier in reality I get the fact that people think it's going to bring crime but it's actually going to reduce it it's going to keep people from staying in that area or possibly in reality it's going to also reduce the fact that everybody sells weed black market if you want to call it that but it will actually help reduce it yes people make the point of multiple dispensaries but if it were me and I smoked cannabis I would totally be willing to drive another five minutes if I had to so it doesn't quite make a difference in the neighborhood all the dispensaries around nowadays and girl operations are very safe actually uh there's really not much crime you've never seen it on the news but yeah that's about all I have to say about it next we have a Michelle Saxton Michelle if you can unmute yourself and then once you start speaking we'll start the time oh okay um Michelle Saxton here I am in support of this project I hear that the community is concerned and that there's still a stigma and fear of cannabis cannabis is legal and these are real businesses with professionals with revenue and taxes that will support the community dispensaries are not just stores that sell dope they offer natural plant alternatives to opiates as well as tinctures topicals and products that offer relief for chronic chronic pain relief and sleep aid that's it thank you Michelle next we have a Raquel hi can you hear me yes we can okay great um hi everyone my name is Raquel and I just wanted to come on here and make a comment um I also live as walking distance of the proposed location and neither myself or my neighbors were given notice um which is pretty strange considering that we live right around the corner from this proposed dispensary but anyways I wanted to say that I'm here to stand with the young people and the students that have named their opposition to this project I as a local resident believe that this is not what the community wants or needs a majority of the rosin community is made up of young people and so I think that their needs are the ones that should be prioritized or desires should be prioritized and I don't think we're doing a really good job of listening to that right now so I just want to point back to the many great comments and points that they've all made throughout the night here um also I just wanted to say that for the white men that keep commenting I want to make it clear that we do not need education around cannabis that is your assumption that's not what the community is asking for so please respect that um I think it would be great to see a community center or a cultural center or just a place you know where young people and families and little children can go and just um you know find time to like connect with each other to relax to um learn you know about their cultures and to connect across cultures as well so um yeah I just wanted to say I'm opposed to this I don't think it's a good idea it's not what we need we have enough dispensaries as it is um so you know please my respects to the presenter but um this is not what we need and also um I just wanted to point out that you know I know the presenter was a woman and a woman of color but skinfolk or not skinfolk just because your Latino doesn't mean you have the best interests of Latino people in this area so I just wanted to remind everybody about that um I will yield my time thank you thank you next we have an m pain if you can please state your name for the record here we go hi my name is mark and I am for this project can you hear me I see people shaking their head but I'm not hearing the voice yes we can we can hear you okay great yes I'm here for the project and a few things I'm 63 year old man I've been in the community for 60 years and as far as the cannabis location I can't seem to think of a better location for the simple fact that it is confined to its own property versus all these other dispensaries that are either in a strip mall or exposed on the street I think to be able to come into a facility feel absolutely safe and be in an environment outside where children aren't allowed people that aren't 18 or older aren't allowed to go into which if I'm walking in the facility say for instance off of um a Dutton in that facility you know what there's stores there's um laundromats and all these people come in to use that and they're children from from zero until however old you are to come pass it and this is a facility that you're going there for a specific reason not for a reason because or walking by and there you pop in second of all I think as far as security and as far as having more police presidents presence in any of these communities I would love to have it in my community more police presence and be feel safer and to take a facility that I know has been on the market for you know over a year I know there was a talk and I think there's a letter out there that was presented that the school was there the school left after the school there was a thought of having a library there you know some people you have to put this money's in these this money and these opportunities together but nothing that has ever happened now you're taking a building that needs renovation that needs to be cleaned up and and you have a good client or a good person coming into that neighborhood and get them bring revenue into it I think it's a win-win for everybody you know what I sympathize with the thought of the police you know for the undocumented uh immigrants that are here but maybe it's time that you know more presidents will help people and they'll get more comfortable with that I look forward for you and the staff you know going full force and approving this project and hopefully that you know you have to think of the community and the people that own the properties and they're trying to help the area and I know that the property owner that has it finally least needs that revenue and I think the whole thing is a win-win for the community there is education and marijuana is not a stigma of people being stoned and screwed up all the time thank you next we have an odalis bar if you can state your name for the record or odalis I'm actually getting that prompt states that you have an older version of zoom as I stated previously you can leave the zoom room and update your zoom app or feel free to call the phone number on the screen with the meeting ID 9880836 6416 again it's 888-475-4499 it's toll free 9880836 6416 with that being said next we have a Ricky if you can state your full name for the record hi sorry I was talking about a food my name is Ricky I am a Latino um identify as he him um I'm gonna speak as briefly as I can just so I can translate it myself uh into Spanish so everyone can understand um I would like to preface everything I have to say that with uh this I guess um a lot of the fears and confusion and sort of um stigma around uh cannabis or marijuana as it's known in Mexico or in the you know Spanish speaking communities um come from you know propaganda that was instilled most directly in the United States like during a time where black people still had no rights brown people still had no rights um and I think we forget that really easily um and you know I am also first generation American my my parents are Mexican and I remember growing up and you know hearing about weed and thinking that it was the worst thing in the world and as I got older I you know into my teens I became rebellious like many of us do and you know I experimented and I realized that a lot of the undiagnosed mental issues that I had were alleviated by this thing and I sort of felt like huh okay well everyone talks so poorly about it anyways I realized I only have a minute and a half left already um I I kind of just I guess I want to say that this is a business at the end of the day to stop a business owner from opening a business because of a lack of help from your local government or because of you know fears that come from a lack of education I think is a bit ignorant um it's hard enough to open a business especially right now I think it's one that that takes in so much tax money that supposedly goes back into communities I think we can put a little more effort into maybe advocating for that instead of opposing a business we could start moving towards you know instilling other programs that don't necessarily have to negate someone else's project um uh yeah I guess that's that's my that's really what I have to say I guess I'll use the last 30 seconds to speak in Spanish to the people that uh don't speak English um um Thank you for listening thanks for your time Thank you. Next we have a phone caller 6027 or 0278 is the last four digits. I'm going to give you permission to speak from a phone. You just need to press star six. And you'll be able to speak. No. We know that you are probably not able to see the timer on the screen. So when you have about 15 seconds left, I will interrupt you. Okay, great. Thank you. Can you hear me now? Yes, we can. The timer will start. Okay, great. Wonderful. All right. So my name is Janice Sebert and I am the current president of the Roseland School District Board of Trustees. And I speak as a representative of the board to say that the Roseland School Board stands for our kids and against this 23,000 square foot industrial cannabis project. Please do not keep telling us that we need to educate ourselves about the benefits of this kind of product. We're constantly, constantly fighting a battle to keep drugs away from our students and our strong voice against the old schools. Cannabis LLC is a statement to our kids and our stakeholders that we consider this project as having a negative impact on Roseland. And we're not just talking about a dispensary. We are talking about a 17,000 square foot grow. The scope of this project is the biggest, it's not the, it's one of the biggest operation in the city. It's a huge industrial process right in a neighborhood, as people have stated, and with current, with an area which is scheduled for high-density housing, the Santa Rosa Station development. So, obviously, we're talking about also on-site consumption, which is not allowed anywhere else in Santa Rosa. And even though people won't be smoking it, they will be ingesting, they're going to be allowing people to consume medicinal and recreational drugs on the site, which means there will be impaired people traveling in this neighborhood. Again, this is not allowed anywhere else in Santa Rosa. 17,000 people, a square feet of grow, the smell will envelop the entire area for months at a time. I know they say they will comply with all regulations regarding odors, but that does not mean there will be no smell. Those regulations simply define how much the government finds acceptable. If this is not true, please let the Canada's people clearly and publicly state we guarantee there will be no smell. 870 square feet of volatile manufacturing means explosive materials related to Canada's product manufacturing. Again, right across the street from existing homes and future developments. And then we have the, and I also want to talk about the added police. We have several comments about the triggering of undocumented people. And I just want to say that it is not only undocumented people of color that are triggered by a high level of law enforcement. Janice, just so you know, you have about, you have about 10 more seconds. Okay. All right. So there we go. That that's actually just wanted that I wanted to say we consider this a negative project, having a negative impact on Roseland, not just a dispensary. It's a huge, huge project. Thank you. Thank you. And next we have a Sylvia. Hello, my name is Sylvia Landon and I thought at the old warehouse for both years. I am really disappointed that the commissioner is even considering it as a space for the cannabis dispensary when our community has so many needs. We need, we have that space could be better use for a community center. It's cool, a library, a daycare. So there is so many wonderful things that you can put in that space and that we really need and we want. So I heard that the person proposing this business to embrace the culture is giving the community. What we need and what we want, not profit from the community. My hope is that the commissioners centers give the community of Roseland what they need. And you hear the youth. They are asking for educational spaces. And the argument that people are saying is educating educating other people about cannabis. That is not a problem that we are educated about that. The problem is that we have other needs. We have other needs. We need the spaces for education. We need the spaces for the community center. So that is the problem. Please don't change the world. We don't know about cannabis. We don't have any problem with cannabis. The problem is that we have other needs that need to be addressed first. And there's been multiple times that the community has been asking for these places, daycare, community center, space for the library, preschool, and we haven't been here. So we need to feel that we really need first and then going to something else. So that is the problem that you haven't had our needs. And also, they haven't asked the people around the neighbors. They all run preschools. They care. They, they need that educational space and not it is asking them and nobody is listening. And there is no. Confusions about this is what we need. That's what we need. Thank you, Sylvia. Thank you, Mr. Maloney. I'd like to take about a five-minute break right now. Sounds good. We'll put that slide up. Okay. So we will be back at about 7, 7, 14, 7, 13. We have a caller with the last four digits of 4, 3, 0, 8. We're going to go ahead and give you permission to speak. And you will just need to press star six to unmute yourself and the timer will start when muted. Again, caller 4, 3, 8. We've given you permission to speak, but if there you go, you are now unmuted. Okay. So good afternoon to everyone. I want to start by greeting everyone here, as well as the planning committee and all the people here. I am a junior at the high school of the university, pardon me. I'm a junior at the high school of Rosen University Prep, as well as a member of the club, of the club Metsha at my school. And I personally think that building a cannabis location within the Rosen district area is not a good look considering that the location held was an educational place. And it being Rosen University Prep high school, as well as holding the students from Rosen collegiate prep, which it holds so much value to not only our community as well as our students, our children and adults and the younger population in this community, who have dedicated so much of their, so much years of their lives to teaching students at their location. It is such a disappointment to know that a project like this is being proposed in our neighborhood. It puts the city of Santa Rosa and the Roseland area that holds many youth a really bad look. The name of the project on old school cannabis. I think is looked as an insult considering that the site held was primarily a high school and educating an educational program. I mean school and alternatively, I think the site could be used for the building of food bank, a cultural center, daycare, a resource center and so many other needs that our community needs. And other needs that have been mentioned throughout the public comments. The location views could vary, but as a location that used to be for educational purposes and uses this location could be used for many more other community and or locally accessible and available centers. As a community, I do not think we need another cannabis dispensary. Especially in our area of Roseland where we hold so many youth and younger generation. Thank you. Could you your name. I'm sorry, could you before you hang up, could you please state your name for the record. My name is Celine. Thank you. Thank you chair weeks you beat me to it. Next we have. Next we have a Janice Sebert. I believe she already spoke. You are correct. Hello. Yeah. Hi, everyone. Thank you. My name is Oda. I am a member of the SRJC. And I just really want to amplify the voices of my fellow machistas and community members. The youth and for the most part, the Roseland community does not want this dispensary as they are voicing today. Also, I'm honestly tired of non Latinx people telling our community how to feel about cannabis, especially when our community has been historically criminalized by this. This is not about education. This is a very valid concern. And I hope this isn't. This is taken into consideration. Thank you. Thank you. One moment chair weeks. Anyone that calls in we change their phone numbers that it's not visible to the public. So I'm going to adjust a few numbers. The next one with their hand raised is a phone caller with the last four digits of one, six, one, one, we have given you permission to speak if you can press star six to unmute yourselves and timer will start when you start speaking. Again, caller with the last four digits of one, six, one, one, we've given you permission to speak, but you need to unmute yourself first by pressing star. Then six star six will unmute you. Hello, my name is Amalia. And I'm from Windsor High School here to support are you can match that and I just want to say that is so disrespectful to even consider building an expensive on top of rose in school. Out of all the building society to uplifts the community dispensary is chosen. If you're a low income apartment or a food bank or library, there's so many options for actually uplifting the community but dispensary is chosen dispensary. This is essentially so harmful on the community, because it's, because it's literally dispensary like the wrong people are going to go into that community and plus it's going to drive out families that have been living there already because nobody, nobody with a family wants to live near dispensary children, walking to school, and they have to be around that and I feel like even though the owners might have good intent or seem to have a good intent is about impact. How is this going to impact the community because, like, would this, would this be built in a white neighborhood in a nice white neighborhood, probably not or, like, the owner, the owner already has another dispensary. Why does she need another one? It's very confusing to me because it feels like a land grab when you're trying to capitalize off the community. And also, I think that, I think that with the impact of policing and already such a community that's uncomfortable with the police is going to be dangerous because they're going to be even more scared. And I think another concern I have is why did we just find out about this so, so recent because we only knew for like, I think maybe four days and it feels like it's being under wraps. I want to know why because we don't need another dispensary. It's just harmful. And I think it's very disrespectful to even consider it because there's other options and it's just very disrespectful. Thank you so much for listening. Thank you. Next we have a current. Hi, my name is Karen Robertson. And I just wanted to call in and express my support for this project. The cannabis has been legalized and I don't think it'd be fair to this applicant to deny the permit simply because location could be used for something else that would benefit the community. I understand that there's a need for more programs in the community, but I'm not aware of any additional proposed uses specifically at this location. There are plenty of other properties in Rosalind that could be used as a community center or another organization that benefits the use in the community. We don't have any facilities like this in Sonoma County. I personally don't always know where my medicine comes from even after legalization of cannabis and with more dispensaries continuously opening an area. I think this facility would benefit me and people I know. I am in support of this project. Thank you. Thank you. Next we have a title of the name is Concern residents. So if you're a resident, so if you can please. So your name. Yes, my name is Eva. And I thank you for the opportunity to give the public a chance to speak on this matter. And it is very concerning being someone that works heavily in the community and looking for a public space for the library. This was one of their first options. And so there's very limited space in Rosalind as it is, and the spaces we do have as someone's talked about the toxins and the pollution and the pollutant that we have in this area is very difficult to find space of this magnitude to bring the public to Rosalind. That was the proposed idea when they was actually looking at that site. And so to have it become something that would not allow families to participate in is very concerning. And so the public library in the past have provided healthy nutrition option classes and space for free. So that's a free Zumba and so forth. So that is the public civic building that the public has been asking for for over 2030 years and to have something come into the in the facility of cannabis and I'm not against it because it helps a lot of people. But what the what the public have been asking for for so many years is not being provided by the when it was in the county, not currently in the city of Santa Rosa, and we have another facility down the street. And in the capacity of this the library is right down the street and students and parents and families walk up to and fro. I passed through that every day. The homelessness and the crime that is going on in the area that tagging the students that we recently had the people that is coming in. They don't even live in Rosalind. But here it is they're trying to bring a business and kudos for them for trying to bring a fantastic business. But for somebody that is out here advocating for the things that our students need and the things that our family need. This is a slap in the face. And so kudos to them. There's other properties, there's one around the corner that's a little smaller in size they can they they can check out. But this is what the public wants and this is what the public need. So please, please, could reconsider this permit. Thank you. Thank you. Next, we have a jay or taken if you can state your first name for the record. Hi, good afternoon. Can you guys hear me. Yes, we can. Good afternoon. My name is a jimmy or tega. I am a teacher in Sonoma County. I want to express concern about this project. It's definitely very concerning given the fact of all the events that have occurred in Rosalind in the past. Basically, I as a citizen who lives in the Rosalind area I oppose it. I'm just, you know, I'm warning you. I know my people of Rosalind. I know that this is going to create a lot of issues and a lot of people are extremely upset with this issue. And it's very concerning with the fact that all the, you know, violence and not violence, but all the, what's the word I'm looking for all the chaos and problems that it could potentially create. I feel like we need to solve other issues like the homeless issue first in Rosalind. Rosalind has been the armpit of Sonoma County for many years. They don't the city doesn't really care about Sonoma County. I'm for the project, but not in Rosalind. I suggest doing the project and rink and valley and to go open up in the rink and valley area and go console what the local neighbors there I'm pretty sure they'll be happy to have this dispensary or cannabis place out there as well, or I'm pretty sure Bennett Valley would love to as well, or I'm pretty sure that up in the my comma area would love to. Also, I do want to express them. I'm a little disappointed with the owners of this or the people who want to open up this cannabis dispensary. They claim themselves that they are Latino or Latin X people and they advocate for the community just for the reference. Please don't call yourself Latino or Latin X people and play the Latino card when most of them perhaps don't even speak Spanish or have ever set foot in a Spanish speaking country. That's like a slap in the face. So don't play the Latino card to your convenience. So that is it and I yield the rest of my time. Thank you. Thank you. Is there anyone else who'd like to speak on this item before we close the public hearing. I'm sure weeks I would like to remind all the callers that a few people I recommend call in that they just need to press star nine to raise their hand and that's will indicate that you would like to speak with that. Thank you. I'm going to ask for digits of 1632 just raise their hand and caller you'll just need to press star six in order to speak the time and we'll start when you do if you can't see the timer. I will let you know when you have 15 seconds left. But at this time we need to press star six orders. Hi, everyone. Thank you for having me this evening. My name is Katie. Thank you for having me, but I'm also very proud of these women to come forward with strength and endurance. It's such a hard hurdle to come over just to endure the cannabis loopholes and hoops you have to jump through. However, I do believe I am in support of this. I believe there's much tax revenue that will be committed to this community. I also believe that there's, you know, this in this updated facility having this beautiful facility being built it will uplift the community and perhaps even maybe influence some of the entrepreneurs the local community to do something for themselves. I have heard a lot of comments being made about wanting more for the community and I definitely support that as well. I hope maybe this will be a bridge or a way for other community members to see that things can be done. You know, it's very difficult to get any kind of cannabis license alone. And then these women coming together to do it is just phenomenal. And I hope that the community kind of sees that as something to kind of to consider. And you know, there is an idea of these Latino women, they are Latino, I know this and I believe in these women, they will bring culture to this community. I believe by having it here that it will kind of be out in the open, it will normalize some of the stigma around it. A lot of it is outdated at this point. I believe that the outdated point of view will eventually be overrun by this next generation of believers and people that push forward new entrepreneurial ideas. And you know, this medicine is being regulated, highly, highly regulated. I don't see a lot of or any kind of destruction going on around the area. But yeah, I do believe that by bringing it there, I think it will normalize that kids will, I think, being out in the open kids will be able to see it and see for themselves exactly what it brings. And they can create their own opinions about it. And I believe that, yeah, I'm in full support of this. I'm so just so proud of what this what they're going to be doing for this community and I really hope you guys see through this. Thank you for having me today. Thank you. Thank you. Next we have a mini Morales with their hand raised. Thank you for speaking the time will start. Thank you. I want to start off by thanking the planning Commission for allowing the time and space to speak about this topic for also making it accessible for the Spanish speaking community, having postponed it to make sure that you had interpreters present to encompass and capture and also inform the community that is being focused for this proposed business. I have been working in the Russian area for the last six years, much of my work is still rooted in the Russian area, and I want to commend all the youth that came and spoke. So to, to the adults in the room, who came and supported the young people, and the interest of the young people in the community at large. I also want to commend their effort to voice their, their, and express their concerns. I have personally I have no, no doubt that this business will thrive. But the idea is not to have it in Russia and not in that location. This is a location that was at one point designated as a learning center for young people. And even though it sits vacant now. The demands have been made. It's not just it hasn't just been a thought. I'm going back to a comment that was made earlier. The idea of having a community center, a multicultural center, a public library, a daycare or maintaining it a school campus is not just the thought it's been a demand in our community. And those demands have not been met. And looking over some of the documents in the proposal in the disclosure form, the applicants are already claiming that location as their address. And to this point, I haven't found any information as to who owns the property. There's also some folks that are named on the on the proposal who live outside of our community. So there's definitely outside interest coming into capitalize in our community. There's been little done to inform our community, the outreach efforts that have been made have been minimal. In terms of the community that's been outreach to the youth took this information went back to their homes, spoke to their parents asked them if if they had been informed of this proposal. They found out that little has been done to inform them if anything at all. More in most cases not. So, the due diligence haven't been done. The what they gathered in community outreach does not reflect the entire need of the community of Rosalind. And it's not much of this is not rooted in fear but more in the necessity to provide something that is needed in the community. That is not a kind of the dispensary at this specific location. Thank you. Thank you. Next we have a Maria Valverde Cervantes. Marie I just want to let you know I did get the indication that your zoom is an older version so I'm not able to promote you. So, previously, they're welcome to call the number on the screen 888-475-4499 and in with that meeting ID 9808-366416, or you can update your zoom. We'd like to hear from you. I also wanted to indicate to the chair that we do have one hand raised at this time by April Reza April already spoke and unfortunately each member of the public is only a lot of three minutes and they're only allowed to speak once on this item. So April, we're not going to be able to call on you at this time. I want to see if anybody, if that caller that I was unable to promote if they're able to get on now, or what do you like to see? Yes, we'll wait just a minute or so to see if they were able to call back here to call in. Sounds good. And it looks like there. We have another speaker. Okay. I'm going to go ahead and allow you to speak at this time. Please stay your full name for the record. And Maria, you'll have to unmute yourself for us to know to share you. Once you do the time, we'll start. Can you hear me? Yes, we can. I'm Maria Malverde and I am a senior at new REP and part of Mecca. I would like to say that I am a close to this proposition and I am really disappointed how we were most of the team knows in our identity proposition are being referred to as uneducated and ignorant. On many of us have first hand experience on the effect of cannabis, but this is not the topic. The problem is location and it feels like we are being targeted once again by people who are looking to make profit off my people. And especially in a low income area where this will be located. You say you are for the people that showed in different ways. You say we need to be educated than educate us put the funds. You are going to use for the center and donate them to school for me them. Thank you. Thank you. At this time, chair weeks, no one else is raising their hand. Okay. So, with that, I will go ahead and close the public hearing on this item and bring it back to the commission. So, I'm going to start off with a few questions that I heard. If that's all right with the rest of the commission. So, some of them are for. So, the question around the outreach to the community. And then the fact that the community member of the community members said that they didn't know about this. Can you miss two means again, talk about how the community gets notified when an item like this comes forward. Yes. So, this specific project, a notice of application was mailed to everyone occupants and absentee property owners within 600 feet of the project sites. Prior to the planning commission hearing and notice was mailed again to the same occupants and absentee property owners within 600 feet. So, those are required to be posted on each street frontage. So one on so basketball road and one on Timothy road. And as well as a ad in the press Democrat. So those are required for public hearings. Just to note that between the last planning commission and today's tonight's planning commission, one of the signs was torn down on Timothy road by an unknown person. And as this item was continued to a date certain we didn't require the applicant to replace the sign on Timothy road, but there was still a sign posted on so basketball road, which is the more prominent street frontage. Thank you. And do you know, this is probably a better question for the applicant that actually I'll wait and ask the applicant this question. What about regulations and how if there's odor, for example, what would happen. So the city's cannabis ordinance states that there should be no deductible odor. And that is all outside of the cannabis facility. Part of the seminal requirements is that the applicants submit a odor control plan that's been certified by an engineer, and that has been provided in the attachments. The applicants will use a carbon filtration system to filter out any potential odors from the various cannabis uses. So not just the retail portion, but cultivation and manufacturing and all the cannabis uses that are present in the building. That's required of all cannabis business sense. And if neighbors smelled something, what is their recourse, who do they contact. So first, first recourse would be to contact code enforcement and code enforcement would investigate the issue and take any corrective action if necessary. And the applicant would be willing to post a onsite contact for people to contact the operator directly if there are any issues in regards to odor or any other potential nuisance issues. Thank you. The other question I had was around on site consumption on site on site consumption is allowed. Can you talk about. I know there's been one other dispensary that has on site consumption allowed. Can you just talk a little bit about on site consumption. Yes, so the code does permit on site consumption with the major conditional use permit. And there are specific requirements. So first of all, unique to the city of Santa Rosa, we have a smoking ordinance that restricts smoking. We're not smoking any substances indoors. In addition, we have that odor, the odor control issue. So those, those two combined restrict any type of smoking of a cannabis or vaping of cannabis on the premises. So the specific requirements are that the applicant has to describe the operational plan and their security protocols and how the consumption would comply with requirements that forth in our cannabis ordinance, as well as state law. Employees were, they're required to post signs on the consumption area. The cannabis retail facility that clearly and legibly notify those entering that smoking and vaping of cannabis is prohibited on site or in the vicinity of the site. Except as permitted in accordance with our smoking chapter. So, in addition to cannabis, the city cannabis zoning regulations, this applicant will be required to obtain state licensing. And there is a state Bureau of Cannabis. And there are various affairs that issues licenses and monitors applicants adherence to their specific requirements, similar to the ABC alcohol Bureau that manages alcohol sales. Specific on site consumption, it'd be, it's a separate lounge right off the retail section. So it has a separate entrance. The applicants can speak more to their specific security protocols that are outlined in their narrative. I think what I'll do is ask commissioners if they have any other questions of staff and then go and ask the applicant to come back on and then have questions of the applicant if that works for folks. So, Commissioner Cisco. I always have trouble getting to my microphone. So, I think it would be helpful if you had staff kind of go over, could we use to have a slide for this when we were initially doing these. We had a slide that that sort of cited what the council went through in terms of their, you know, over a year long process of developing the regulation. I think it might be helpful to the public to have staff just, you know, recite what that process was like, how we got to the regulations that we have right now and what the goals of council were. And then the other thing we did get some late correspondence from Mr. Keegan as the one of the leasing agents for the building and I think that that would be helpful to either. Read to the public or sort of disclose generally. I mean, I get the sentiment about the school and then there's there's issues about property rights and what what happened as a result between the call for this to be a library and where it is right now. So, I just think that would be helpful for the public to to hear that if they didn't weren't able to read that in our materials. Good suggestions. So can staff give us summary of the cannabis ordinance, the history of the cannabis ordinance. Sure. Oops. Okay, sure. I could I can do that. The city's cannabis ordinance of course tracks or follows with the state's legalization of first medical cannabis and then adult use cannabis. But in general on in January of 2016, the city council directed staff to prepare a cannabis ordinance to provide comprehensive regulations for at that time, the medical cannabis years. Additionally, the council reconvened the medical cannabis policy subcommittee that I believe had been established on perhaps in 2010 2012 timeframe. And then staff also convened a technical advisory committee to support development of a comprehensive ordinance. The draft ordinance was initially published in June of 2017, and later amended and republished in October, the same year. And then the adopted comprehensive cannabis ordinance that this project was reviewed under was amended and reviewed by planning commission and city council who considered all technical review public feedback and subcommittee direction received today. So following over 20 council policy subcommittee meetings, several tax sessions, a public forum, an extensive public outreach and discussion, including notifications sent to 12,000 emails via the city's email service, social media notifications next door, Facebook and press releases, KSRO interviews in the morning and on the drive, as well as news articles in the press Democrat and the chronicle, and then outreach to real estate fire and building code officials, school representatives neighborhood groups, cannabis business representatives non cannabis business community and trade organizations. So staff developed then a theme of comments that emerged and presented these to planning commission and city council for discussion. From the residents in general public perspective, key themes included odor from outdoor personal cultivation but not commercial cultivation, and then just a confusion over how the cultivation would be calculated. And then school representatives and youth advocates were concerned about setbacks from schools and saw an increased setback to 1000 feet. They sought to extend the youth the setback to youth facilities and daycare centers. The state was only requiring a setback from K through 12 schools. And then the cannabis industry sought to reduce the distance between retail facilities to a 600 feet, and then to allow for adult use businesses and the ordinance. And finally, the general business community was concerned about over concentration factors. These concerns were presented to planning commission and discussed in detail. I recall and others recall us in particular, and commissioner some of you who may have been on the commission at the time would recall extensive discussion about setbacks from schools. And that discussion continued to the city council, as well as as a discussion about over concentration concerns. And the odor mitigation concerns were addressed by the ordinance, which requires mitigation of odor to a level undetectable outside of buildings, as well as the fact that the city does not allow outdoor commercial cultivation. So any outdoor cultivation that one might experience as the result of personal outdoor cultivation for personal use that's allowed by state law. And then in, in December 2017, the council voted to adopt the comprehensive cannabis ordinance that of course was recommended for approval with comments by the planning commission. And that became effective in January of 2018. Since then, the, the city did add on adult use to the cannabis ordinance when when it was adopted by the state as policy. And the ordinance does allow cannabis retail land use in general commercial zoning districts. All cannabis land uses are allowed in industrial zoning districts, and throughout the city we do require a minimum 600 foot setback from schools. Excuse me, which is also the minimum required by state law. And, and as well we address the over concentration of retail facilities, as was described this evening by requiring a minimum of 600 feet between retail facilities. So I hope that's that's sufficient as a summary and then of course planning commission has had a wealth of experience in reviewing projects proposed retail as well as other cannabis land uses that have required major conditional use permits. Thank you. Mr triple if you wouldn't mind also just citing how counsel took this up as a, as a priority tier goal for establishing the businesses just so, and throughout the city so again, Of course, right. So when when in 2016 when, when Council voted to pursue the legalization of cannabis in the city of Santa Rosa. It made it a tier one goal, which is one is a highest priority goal for the city. This was not done just in response to perceived public desire for legalization cannabis but it was also viewed. From my understanding as development of an economic sub sector to contribute to the city's economic success. So it has always been viewed as development of the industry with economic environmental goals of advancing the cities that that industry for for those purposes. Does that answer your question. Thank you. Commissioner Cisco also had mentioned the letter from Mr Keegan. Sure, I think that Kristen a were you able to find the comments because you wanted that the comments read. Correct. Commissioner Cisco what was your request. My request was that it be made public if it hadn't been already. And I doubt there was time for Spanish translation but it's an important sort of historical piece about property ownership how we got to this point. So, just so how that that that came to be. We can, if we go ahead and summarize that communication for the record, then my understanding is that it would be translated into Spanish and so it could be shared with the community as part of this, this discussion. So, and then I also believe it was shared as late correspondence so it will be included in the public record of this meeting. On September 23, the city received correspondence from Mr Brian Keegan with Keegan and coping company. And he was the broker who who listed the property for lease, and he described sort of the chronology of the leasing activity for the property. And that indicates that in July of 2020 that he had participated in a tour or or hosted a tour rather of the property for city officials, and that then in checking back in and communicating with the city, and not having a response to the city's position on the property. Then in January 2021 was engaged with the current tenant, who eventually entered into contract for lease of the property. So the cities of the city's position at this point in time is that the project before you under review has submitted an application, and that the focus should be on review of the application. So that's the plan and commission today. Thank you. Any questions from the commissioners for staff before we hear before we go to the applicant for questions. So, are there any other questions for staff. And then if we could have the applicant back. Okay, well thank you. Thank you. So I have Andrew from our team here and he's going to be answering questions from you guys. Okay. Thank you so much. So, Mr. Longman, I have a couple of questions. One has to do. We heard a lot from the public about outreach to the community and I wondered, I know what the city did as far as notifying the neighborhood. I wondered if you as an applicant team did any community. Ms. Rivera did talk about a tour that she did, but wondered what else was there. Hello, can you hear me? Yes. Okay, I'm having a hard time my audio over here. Can you please repeat the question? Sure. I'm not sure what type of community outreach you did. Ms. Rivera mentioned a tour that she did, but I wondered what else there was. Oh, absolutely. Yeah. So first, just introduce myself. My name is Andrew. I'm with 421 group, a local cannabis consultancy. I've been assisting the applicant through the applicant process just want to state my name for the record. So for as far as community outreach goes over, you know, a multi week span. And I'm not sure if you're familiar with the neighborhood. I believe you should have a map in the neighborhood outreach plan that we submitted to all of you. And on those occasions, we canvass both bilingual, bilingualy to make sure we're reaching out and getting as many people as we could aware of our projects so we can have conversations about it. We also held a community meeting last Wednesday. And that was held bilingualy as well at the facility. And during those events, we gathered, I submitted the petition in support of the project to you guys as well. And we gathered upwards of 30, 35 signatures, I believe 30 or 35 signatures. Okay. Any, anything else you'd like to add on that item? Well, when we had the original posting for the projects, we, we did, you know, it not being in Spanish for the neighborhood. We did see that as an issue and we do really want to just thank the commission for taking the time to delay this meeting so it could be properly noticed. We really do appreciate that. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you for the secondary sign up next to the notice originally. I'd say probably for the last three days of the notice in Spanish, asking to reach out to Nellie and with her personal number to discuss the project if people felt compelled to do so. Thank you. Thank you. I'm very happy to be part of the facility being old school cannabis and wondered if you had any response around that. Yeah, I'm my name is that there was absolutely no offense meant, and if we offended anyone with that name choice. It was not intended. And we would be more than happy to change that name to something more suitable and more fitting for the community. I think it was Ms. Tumins when I when I asked her a question about odor mitigation she mentioned that perhaps the applicant could have you know a contact info available for the public and wondered if what you thought about something like that. I think it's a great idea. We've we've already drafted the good neighbor policy for this project and I think making that publicly present in some way at the facility is a great idea. Great. Thank you. Any questions from Mr. Peterson? So we had an entire planning commission meeting on this several years ago so it doesn't need to be that detailed but since the public raised the concern I was wondering if you briefly talk about and briefly talk about the volatile aspect of the manufacturing and the risk of explosions, fires, pollution. Yeah, absolutely. Thank you. That's a great question. So we'll be using a standalone prefab building for the 500 square foot manufacturing at C1, D1 rated for such volatile extraction. It is you know compliant with FDCA, that's a food drug, cosmetic act, closed loop system to minimize any such explosions. These systems have advanced, I know we've all in the past have heard those horror stories of people doing extractions in their basements and the horrible things that could potentially happen but these systems have come a long way in recent times and I do feel that it is safe and I think you'd be very impressed with what we'd be building there. Are they used outside of the cannabis industry? These, I have not seen the specific setups used outside of the cannabis industry. I mean volatile extraction in general using either you know petroleum based stuff. Oh, I'm not exactly sure. I'm sorry. Any other questions for Commissioner Holton? Yeah, I just had a quick question about regarding cannabis consumption. What's your current policy on cut off limits or duration of stay? Actually that's the first question is do you have a duration of stay requirement for folks consuming cannabis on site? Yeah, thank you. Great question. So as of right now, of course we're still tinkering with this but the idea right now is a 30 minute stay cap and it's totally going to be subject to the capacity of the facility at that time. We're going to have security guards who are trained and identifying those who are inebriated. We're going to have ample signages at the facility to deter any reckless behaviors. If this were smoking strictly smoking, I wouldn't be concerned. However, due to the fact that you are ingesting cannabis, it's a much, much more delayed reaction, especially when it's a higher concentration. So if you have somebody that's going ahead and consuming you know four or five, ten milligram gummies and then they're like a half hour later they're like I'm cool. They go out to their car, jump in their car and they're passed out at the stop light. You know I just think that that policy should definitely be rethought. I support everything else. I just I think that the onsite consumption is, the ease of it and the implement of it is a major concern for me. Absolutely and we would absolutely rethink that policy and I actually really appreciate your feedback. It is not our intent to ever have anyone get behind the wheel of a vehicle after consuming cannabis at our facility. That is the last thing that we want. Yeah and are you guys going to be doing like drinks or anything like that as well like doing a drink bar? Were you guys to do like hash infused or cannabis infused drinks? The idea yeah yeah stuff like that you guys will be serving those there as well. The idea is to serve beverages, edibles and so that is a huge concern like I definitely just consider to fine tune that piece before that's like a part of the entire you know package. Absolutely thank you so much for that feedback and I just want to say one more thing you know the intent you know this location is so great for onsite consumption. For one main reason is its proximity to public transportation being so close to the smart train station being so close to multiple bus stops. We really see this being used more so by the community on foot traffic but I do not want to minimize your concern at all and we will definitely get on the drawing board and make sure we hit those points. Not to mention it's really close to all the really really amazing faculty that's down there so no doubt about that. All right thank you. I missed too many. Thank you. Did you want to talk a little bit more about the volatile issue? Yes I just wanted to address a Vice Chair Peterson's question that the closed-loop extraction system that's used for volatile manufacturing is not unique to the cannabis manufacturing industry and it's been used for decades to produce perfume, food additives, beauty products, coffee, a variety of food related uses. It's not unique to cannabis but being that it's part of the cannabis manufacturing process there's a lot more regulation placed upon cannabis operators who use that system versus the other uses I mentioned. Yes thank you. Any other questions? Ms. Commissioner Duggan? Yeah this might be more for staff than the applicant but what does the state law say as far as on-site consumption locations? Do they have any regulations or requirements or duration of stay or what can be consumed or you know I don't think we've ever heard that part of it or if we haven't I can't remember what we've heard so. Christine did you like me to or Andrew? Sure I was Commissioner Duggan I was just going to say that our regulations are consistent with state law to the extent that there's local enforcement of state law. The state does have inspectors and so to my knowledge the only state regulation is that it can't be consumed in view of the public and then of course you would have to be over 21 years of age to enter the facility but Mr. Longman may be likely is more current on state law. That is exactly what I was going to say. In addition the sale or consumption of alcohol and tobacco is not allowed on the premises and this comes from the state law in the business and professions code. Thank you Ms. Crocker. Other questions for staff or the applicants? Okay then if somebody would like to read the resolution and then we can have discussion. Commissioner Duggan. I will move a resolution of the planning commission of the city of Santa Rosa approving a conditional use permit for old school cannabis to allow 2,350 square foot feet of retail dispensary with delivery and onsite consumption 17,120 square feet for commercial cultivation 5,001 square feet or greater 870 square feet for distribution 500 square feet of manufacturing level two two volatile within an existing building located at 100 Sebastopol road assessor's parcel number 125-181-023 file number CUP 21-027 and wait for the reading. Thank you. Is there a second? Second. Thank you Vice Chair Peterson. That was moved by Commissioner Duggan seconded by Vice Chair Peterson. So now we'll go to the commission for discussion. We'll start alphabetically Commissioner Carter. I wish my name started with a W today. This has been an enlightening session. First of all I'd like to thank the staff for recommending delay of the project so that more community outreach could happen so that we could arrange for translation services and really get the community involved. While I'm certain there's a number of other uses that are desirable for Roseland what we have here is one use and a use permit that we're being asked to consider for that particular use. The use has been analyzed as being consistent with city policy and I do believe staff did an excellent job in that analysis that it is consistent with zoning the general plan and the Roseland area specific plan. I think the necessary findings that we have to make also include a finding that it's compatible with local land use beyond the letter of the code so we need to take into consideration everything that goes on around issues. My biggest concern is that while the property is zoned industrial and we have seen many industrial sites developed for cannabis use positively here in Rosewood there is a preponderance of residential use existing and in the future that could occur near this and it's an extremely large facility that we're considering so those are my primary considerations is the actual compatibility based on the regulations and what we've heard from the community tonight. So in general I'm supportive of cannabis facilities including grow and operate and manufacturing facilities I've seen the controls that are put on it contain it to the activities that are supposed to be there and I have faith that our ordinance adequately controls them but it's really hard to ignore the community sentiment that we've heard. The fact that it was a school I'm afraid is somewhat irrelevant the academy exists and there's not currently a school use proposed for the site so based on what we've heard about the proposed specific use before us in the community sentiment I'm doubtful that I can support it entirely. Thank you. Commissioner Cisco. Well I'd like to offer up some comments with what you're saying harder and some of what I've heard is comments in particular between industrial uses. Commissioner Cisco you're cutting in and out. Okay yeah I don't know what to do. I think if you sit closer. Okay so what I do is you know the issue of conflict between industrial and residential uses and I don't know if you drove all the way down Timothy Road but in that cul-de-sac at the end of Timothy Road exists a plan development sweat equity project which was built and populated over 20 years ago it was all surrounded by industrial uses. The Timothy Commons the Burbank Avenue project came later but they're right there up against the industrial uses. The project that we just saw before us across the street are all residential uses and so I think it's the type of industry that can be more or less compatible. We just don't have the luxury of separating out industrial uses from the residential so we have to do our best to have compatibility. That zoning is industrial so if this cannabis facility wasn't there large or small another industrial use could go there which is going to be in the midst of older housing and the new housing that's under construction right now the village station. If you really want to go back the village station used to be completely general industrial it was a fish processing plant and housing developed around it because that's how it went and we the citizens endured. This is a use that because of all of the regulations its ability to be noxious is pretty pretty well wiped out and so I would just offer that as something to consider. The other thing that's happening along the along Sebastopol Road there we're springing up with all of the neighborhood serving uses that we all ask for when we do our general plans and the community comes out and naps out what they want. They want neighborhood serving uses well we have along that strip the butcher shop a little bakery. The live work units that exist there at one time I think got lost as a result of COVID sadly was a florist shop there was a martial arts center. The village station is currently finally finishing up their their live work units the frontage of Sebastopol Road and the marketing and the real estate section of the PD talks about its time has come because of COVID because people are working more remotely so that whole strip along there is a mix of housing and activity generating potential work uses. The village station will be undergrounding their utilities and this project would continue that so the frontage along the Sebastopol Road with this project would continue that and frankly the retail portion which would be on Sebastopol Road is a neighborhood serving use. It's walkable to get your you know your cannabis medicinally or recreationally it is close to the train and the bus stop so I see I see that as it's really important. Mr. Herbs concerns I have a lot of respect for Mr. Herb he's been around a long time dealing with the toxics in the area but this project would not prohibit the development of the Roberts Avenue area and most of you know how I feel about the Roberts Avenue area and how badly I want it to develop and appreciate the land uses that got put into place when we did the downtown station area plan the problem that that particular developer will have is the toxics it's not what's across the street what's across the street I think can only maybe inspire somebody to develop there and the toxics are serious one of the reasons why the village station which was approved about 20 years ago it's finally in its last phases was because of the toxics and running into a number of different iterations of okay it's clean well no it's not so it's a serious problem and and I appreciate Mr. Herbs ability and responsibility to to try and to deal with that and get grants to clean it up but that's not going to prevent any development you know we we make our findings and you know we usually say I can make the findings and typically you know the ones that are more concrete it fits the general plan it fits the the zoning code it's operationally correct with our ordinances the ones that we usually get more discussion on are finding see where we're the character the design location and operating characteristics of the proposed activity would be compatible with the existing and future land uses in the vicinity and I really believe I can totally make that finding because I think it is consistent in terms of being both a neighborhood serving retail frontage on sabastopol road but the industrial part and it does create nobody's driving anywhere they're growing their manufacturing and you know they're putting it there so so to me that's it's a unique piece of property and I think that this particular applicant is is making a really good use of it the other one that we typically struggle with with the findings is the no nuisance and again what we have seen over time is how secure and safe these particular uses have been this it's right on the railroad tracks there are plenty of issues that go on at night around there and to have the built-in security and activity there to me is is only a plus for for the area so for that reason and and others again I appreciate staff going through what what the council went through in terms of developing the ordinance establishing establishing it as a priority establishing that these uses are spread throughout the city and we're seeing that this this isn't a rosalind dumping ground project uh this you know we we put things out in on the east side and continue to do so and want to do so so in my opinion um given uh that what's in front of us tonight and maybe lost opportunities uh but that what's in front of us tonight I think is a good use I can completely make the findings um and so I'll be voting to approve the project thank you uh commissioner dug in now this time I can say I'm I'm happy that commissioner Cisco is between commissioner Carter and myself because I think you laid out a very compelling argument that we are here to decide land uses and I can also make all the findings I hear the community and what they wish for but unfortunately we don't generate these projects we consider project applications from private developers and this one is consistent with all the required findings we can make um and also I think it would be helpful for future applications for any cannabis dispensary if we had a map includes included in the project application and then the um the planners um presentation showing the dispersal of where these uh dispensaries are located throughout the city because we are trying to get them in all four quadrants and we are starting to achieve that but you know there's one on college avenue that's going to be developed on the edge of a historic neighborhood there's the one on um bethards in Yalupa way out in Bennett Valley so we're not just trying to foist these on um poor neighborhoods that don't have um have other kinds of goods and services so I am in support of the project thank you uh commissioner Holton uh I really love going after commissioner dug in commissioner Carter and now commissioner Cisco thank you so much for basically making it so I can be as concise as possible um I'm also in support of this project I can make all the required findings for sure uh I really what one thing that really resonated with me I just wanted to share there was a caller who mentioned how she had hoped that it would come to her community so that it could clean up her area so that she would feel safe walking her child down the street you know that's the thing is that we've got a lot of undeveloped areas and a lot of areas that are just not being taken care of by the property owners and to have a place like this where somebody is going to really put their heart and soul into it and they're also going to keep everything local you know that's really great that they'll be doing everything from you know distribute or manufacturing distribution cultivation I mean it's just great so thank you very much I'm in support of this project and I'll leave it at that thank you uh vice chair Peterson well you know it's it's nice to to go now and and have all the a lot of the issues very ably handled by my fellow commissioners I will try and speak slowly for the the sake of the translator um I I do want to thank everybody that that came out um and gave us their time to give their perspective on this um I think it's easy we've seen I don't know dozens at this point and and it can can be kind of you know rote at a point but I think that this is still a new issue relatively certainly relative to alcohol and bars and things like that and I think we're going to see um these same issues crop up each time we kind of a new applicant goes into a new part of town so um I think it is important to kind of define the planning commission's role I mean Commissioner Cisco discussed this a bit but as did Commissioner Carter we're we don't really set policy so certainly there are other uses that may be better or more desirable that could go in here but based on the record we've got no one was interested um we had the letter from you know the lease the leasing company that said we've been showing it for almost two years and and nobody bit before them so um you know what we've got is is this application we've got to make certain findings based on sort of the rules that were set forth by the you know the elected city council in the state of California and so I don't think it's really our role to kind of pick and choose what would what would be best is it's just does this project meet the requirements and I think in this case it does um and I think I can make all the required findings I do want to kind of explain um my reasoning on this just for the public um you know you know why cannabis why here I mean Commissioner Cisco pointed out this was a tier one priority for the city council you know this was something that they set out to get done and said listen this is what we want in the city and this is the policy there was as you heard from mr triple there was a lot of debate that went into that this the ordinance that we're looking at now that sets the rules for this project and you know we had a lot of stakeholder input and I think one of the key things is that as has been discussed already it's to distribute these throughout the city we don't want to sort of red light district for cannabis in in Santa Rosa and we also don't want to induce traffic and so not that it's been been easy or smooth all the time but we have you know approved projects in Bennett Valley in Rankin Valley um you know I've I've approved projects that are you know relatively close to my own house um so it's certainly not something that I think is being parked in in Rosalind or that Rosalind is being taken advantage of um in this case I know there's a long history of that and I think the city is is working to rectify that but I think this particular issue um isn't isn't one of them um I I think on the security front this does sort of paradoxically improve the security of the neighborhood I think you've got more eyes you've got dedicated security you've got cameras you just you've got people there and people being there with eyes out will result in a safer community I think for everybody I do agree with my fellow commissioners I look I don't love on-site consumption but that's what the ordinance allows and also bars are legal I mean you know there's bars in this neighborhood where people can go and have a couple drinks and you know drive off onto the highway 12 I mean it's it's just sort of the nature of of what we're faced with and I would hope that the applicant takes steps to you know prevent issues that may come out of that but right now it's that's that's the rule and you know I I don't see a basis for me to kind of overrule that um so sort of with all that that's where I I end up I think you know it's not an easy decision but I think in light of the rules in light of what we've seen before I can I can make the findings uh to to support this project thank you um I don't really have anything much to add um I think it is good to remind the public and ourselves that we don't make the policy that we um our role is to implement the policy of the city of Santa Rosa and that they um as Mr. Triple detailed um there was a there was a great deal of public outreach and and meetings and discussions about this ordinance um I do um really want to thank the community for coming out um for this uh and um I do feel that I can make all the findings um as outlined in the resolution so so with that so with that um it the ordinance was I'm sorry the resolution was um moved by Commissioner Duggan and seconded by Vice Chair Peterson um Mr. Maloney if you would like to call roll thank you chair weeks start with Commissioner Carter I Commissioner Cisco I Commissioner Duggan I Commissioner Holden I Vice Chair Peterson I Chair weeks I so that uh passes with six eyes and I believe that that is the last item for us tonight unless Mr. Triple has anything else for us no chair weeks I think we're good thank you all for your time this evening we greatly appreciate your your commitment to the city and to your role on planning commission thank you thank you with that um we'll see you at the next meeting good night