New marijuana growing facility being considered for Carson City

A new medical marijuana indoor grow facility is in its final stages of planning, and if it is approved, would be built at 5700 Morgan Mill Road in East Carson City.

Indoor Garden Farms, LLC, has applied for a Special Use Permit from the Carson City Planning Commission to construct a building used to cultivate and produce marijuana for the State of Nevada.

Per the ordinance passed by Carson City in July 2014, marijuana establishments are allowed in designated zoning districts and areas in Carson City with approval of a Special Use Permit and subject to specific city requirements. Separate Special Use Permits are required for the cultivation and production aspects of the establishment.

The area proposed is in an area with no residential zoning, and located outside of the priority infill development area.

The existing site is a one-acre parcel, zoned general industrial. The project proposes to construct a 10,380 square foot warehouse on the property, which will be used for manufacturing, warehouse use, and approximately 300 square feet of office space.

The business is expected to employ between 5-10 people.

“The proposed development will ensure vitality of existing retail centers (dispensaries), and encourage further development of regional retail centers (dispensaries), by providing goods at a whole sale price,” said permit applicant and owner of Indoor Garden Farms, LLC, Rick DeCarlo.

The facility’s security plan includes the following:

— Security fencing

— Security gate with Knox box

— Surveillance equipment that meets NRS requirements for medical marijuana establishments

— Alarm system

— No exterior signage indicating the type of business

— Generator backup in event of power outage

— Secure storage safe room

According to the Planning Commission’s report, “To mitigate concerns of medical marijuana odor from the production facility, the applicant intends to use ventilation systems that utilize sealed rooms with exhaust air passing through charcoal carbon filters prior to leaving the building. There is a condition of approval that no odor may be detected outside the building. The applicant will be required to ensure that their ventilation system meets this requirement as a part of the Special Use Permit.”

“The short-range benefits that will occur if this project is approved include employment opportunities for local contractors and sub-contractors, local public utilites, and employment opportunities for workers at the facilty,” wrote DeCarlo. “Long range benefits include tax revenue, and an increased supply of goods to support local dispensaries, testing facilities and marijuana distributors. Revenue from these businesses in turn supports other businesses and people of Carson City.”

The daily waste water run-off for our cultivation facility equates to .17 gallons per plant. This is an average based on the plants fluctuating needs in various stages of growth from small young plants to full size plants. A total of 820 plants will be growing at full production, which equals a total of 139.4 gallons waste per day. The maximum is 15,000 gallons a day; any more than that would require a Growth Management Review.

The following standards are intended to establish minimum standards and Special Use Permit review criteria for medical marijuana establishments, including cultivation facilities, dispensaries, production facilities, and testing laboratories, as defined in Title 18 and NRS, in addition to other standards for commercial and industrial development.

The following standards apply to all medical marijuana establishments:

All medical marijuana establishments (MMEs) require approval of a Special Use Permit. Special Use Permits for MMEs are only valid at a given location for the operator who obtains the Nevada State certificate for that facility. The Special Use Permit approval shall expire and become null and void if the MME operator loses or otherwise forfeits his or her State certificate to operate that facility. Special Use Permits are non-transferable between operators and locations within Carson City.

b. No consumption of Medical Marijuana products shall occur on the premises of any MME.
Consumption on the premises of the cultivation facility is not proposed.

c. All business activities related to MMEs, including cultivation, shall be conducted indoors, within a permanent building. The use of office trailers or other temporary structures is prohibited. All MMEs shall have an appearance, both as to the interior and exterior, which is professional, orderly, dignified, and consistent with the traditional style of pharmacies and medical offices.

[d-i]

j. No more than two Dispensaries shall be permitted in Carson City.

k. A MME shall not be located within 1,000 feet of a public or private school that provides formal education traditionally associated with preschool or kindergarten through grade 12 or within 300 feet of a facility that provides day care to children, a public park, a playground, a public swimming pool, a center or facility, the primary purpose of which is to provide recreational opportunities or services to children or adolescents, that existed on the date on which the application for the proposed MME was submitted to the State Health Division, measured on a straight line from the nearest school or community facility property line to the front door or primary entrance of the MME.

The Planning Commission Meeting will take place on October 24 at 5 pm in the Sierra Room of the Carson City Community Center, located at 851 East William Street, during which the proposal to build the new marijuana facility will either be approved or denied.