Cannabis businesses not allowed under Meyers Area Plan, for now

MEYERS, Calif. - El Dorado County has opened the online availability of pre-applications and applications for commercial cannabis use permits and annual operating permits, but those wanting to operate in Meyers must wait. The Meyers Area Plan does not meet the permitted zones for the retail sales, cultivation, delivery and manufacturing licenses that will be issued.

There are a few locations in the unincorporated areas of El Dorado County on the East Slope (Lake Tahoe area) that could fit the requirements between Meyers and South Lake Tahoe and Tahoma.

The Meyers Area Plan (see above) has unique zones developed just for the town and none of them fit the available cannabis license zones. County officials say this was unintentional and not discovered during the 40 public meetings held as an ordinance was crafted.

There is current interest from at least one person to open a storefront within the Meyers Area Plan boundaries. Since their desired retail cannabis sales business is not currently allowed a process to amend the ordinance needs to be initiated by the County, beginning with Planning.

It is possible that a retail sales license cannot be issued for Meyers, even if the ordinance is changed allowing their zones to be included. At this time only seven retail sales storefront facilities are being allowed in the unincorporated parts of El Dorado County. Those five currently operating medical cannabis dispensaries will be given first rights through the application process. Sales businesses can operate in the Community Commercial, Regional Commercial, General Commercial, and Industrial Low zones of which Meyers has none.

El Dorado County is allowing up to 150 commercial cannabis cultivation operations in the unincorporated portions of the County. They can't be located within 1,500 feet from any school, school bus stop, place of worship, park, playground childcare center, youth-oriented facility, pre-school, public library, licensed drug or alcohol recovery facility, or licensed sober living facility. They cannot be established on any parcel containing a dwelling unit used as a residence or within 500 feet of a residential zoning district. Measurement is property line to property line. Indoor cultivation of commercial cannabis may be permitted in the General Commercial, Industrial High, Industrial Low, and Research and Development zone districts.

An unlimited number of distribution facility licenses for commercial cannabis has been approved but they are only be permitted in the General Commercial, Industrial High, Industrial Low, and Research and Development zone districts

Commercial cannabis testing laboratories may only be permitted in the General Commercial, Industrial High, Industrial Low, and Research and Development zone districts. An unlimited number of licenses have been approved.

Commercial Cannabis Manufacturing Facilities are allowed but, depending on the type of manufacturing license held, are limited to certain zones. An unlimited number of licenses have been approved.

There are three phases to the application process: the pre-application phase which is used to determine basic eligibility of the proposed commercial operation and identify potential challenges as early in the process as possible. It includes a non-refundable fee of $1,480; phase two includes the submittal of the full application to ensure compliance with the commercial cannabis ordinances and environmental reviews; phase three allows successful applicants to work with the Commercial Cannabis Permitting Office to ensure all conditions of approval and operational requirements of a commercial cannabis business operation are met and approvals are granted. This phase also includes a monitoring program to ensure key milestones are reached by applicants who are on track to renew their Annual Operating Permit.

After the pre-application period, those submitting applications must also pay fees of $4,553 - $7.284. After then, monitoring program fees range from $3,318 to $4,993 and annual permits of $3,836 - $4,993, depending on the type of permit held.

“We strongly recommend that interested parties go through the pre-application process first,” said Deputy Chief Administrator, Creighton Avila, “as it will identify at a substantially lower cost any potential hurdles than if they were to jump straight into the full application process. Interested parties may even decide not to proceed with the full application after potential issues have been raised.”

Avila has lead the administrative efforts surrounding the passage of five
cannabis-related ballot measures last November. County Supervisors Sue Novasel and John Hidahl were on the ad-hoc committee that whittled through issues leading to the ordinance.

All County cannabis information can be found here - https://www.edcgov.us/Government/planning/Cannabis/Pages/Cannabis---Commercial.aspx.

For the full ordinance, visit HERE.