"Cannabis and Housing Planning:  Successes and Challenges"

Samoa Lighthouse

After a haitus in 2020 prompted by public health concerns, the CCPCA's annual event has returned, with our long-awaited 90th General Conference held on October 15-16, 2021.  Friday's sessions at the historic Eagle House in downtown Eureka, Humboldt County, included a morning focused on Cannabis compliance, and a panel discussion on the state of the legal cannabis industry in the North Coast region.  In the afternoon we turned our attention toward housing projects: --there were also presentations on the latest CEQA updates and effective mitigation, as well as the latest information on the practices of Planning Commissioners within California.  Our fascinating field trip on Saturday included a stop at the Arcata cannabis industrial zone where attendees participated in a tour of a state-fo-the-art extraction facility.  The group also viewed two new area housing projects in Arcata and Samoa, each with a distinct character.  We ate lunch and conducted our annual general membership meeting at the historic Samoa Cookhouse.  The afternoon was highlighed by a drive through the Redwoods to visit an operating cannabis farm.  The event concluded Saturday evening with a gala farewell banquet, featuring keynote speech and Q&A by California District 2 Senator Mike McGuire.

Thank you to all who participated!

(Photo: Samoa Lighthouse, by hakkun)

Follow Links Below
For Background and more Info

Friday, October 15  
Time Topic
7:30am-1pm Registration/Check-in desk open
8:00am Breakfast
9:00am Humboldt County Welcome
Noah Levy, President, CCPCA
Welcome remarks
9:15am John Ford, Director of Planning & Building, Humboldt County
10:00am Nicole Elliott, Director
State of California Department of Cannabis Control
10:45am  Break
11:00am Cannabis Panel
- John Ford, Humboldt County Planning Director
- Rebecca Garwood, Coastal Habitat Conservation Program Manager, CDFW
- Scott Davies, cannabis business owner & Arcata Planning Commissioner
- Thomas Mulder, cannabis business owner & Humboldt County Planning Commissioner
12:15pm Lunch
1:15pm "Evaluating Effective Mitigation" & 2021 CEQA Update
Bob Brown, Principal Planner, SHN Engineering and Geologists
2:00pm Rob Holmlund, Planwest Partners, Inc
2:15pm Housing Panel
- Michael Richardson, Supervising Planner, Long Range Planning, Humboldt County Planning Department
- Chris Dart, Danco Builders
- Rob Holmlund, Planwest Partners, Inc.
- David Loya, developer and City of Arcata Planning Commissioner
- Alan Bongio, developer and Hunboldt County Planning Commissioner
3:30pm Break
3:45pm "Cannabis planning and advantages of cannabis business corridor zoning"
Nick Angeloff, Rio Dell Planning Commission Chair, HSU Lecturer & Research Associate
Archaeology, Field Director, Cultural Resources Facility
4:15pm “Congratulations, You’re a Planning Commissioner... Now What?”
Michael Washam, Tulare County RMA Associate Director
5:00pm Question and Answer Session, Closing Remarks, Announcements
6:00pm

Evening Reception at Humboldt Bay Provisions, featuring local oysters.
charcuterie, local cheeses, local wine, beer and kombucha, with local artisan
goods for sale.

Saturday, October 16  
Time Topic
8:45am Board bus for field trip:  Meet at the Eagle House Inn at 2nd & C
9:15am Visit to the Cannabis Innovation Zone - West End Campus in Arcata.
--Tour of the Bear Extraction Lab and Extraction Pod Facilities.
10:20am Arcata City Hall -- walking tour:  Arcata Gateway Plan
Led by Community Development Director, David Loya.
11:40am Samoa Penninsula Master Plan Development, -- Chris Dart, President of DANCO.
12:30pm Lunch at historic Samoa Cookhouse and annual CCPCA General Membership Meeting
1:30pm Tour through Avenue of the Giants redwoods to visit
Emerald Eel Farms, an operational legal cannabis Farm site.
--Angelina Lasko and James Oates
5:15pm Return To Eagle House: Break before evening Banquet.
6:00pm Social Hour begins at Eagle House Ballroom
6:45pm Banquet Dinner and Keynote Address
Introduction by Rex Bohn, Humboldt County District 1 Supervisor
Keynote address by Mike McGuire, CA 2nd District State Senator, “The Great Redwood Trail”
9:00pm Conference Ends, Closing Farewell