Supervisors approve cannabis shop near Coachella Valley Animal Shelter
The Board of Supervisors today gave the go-ahead for the establishment of a cannabis retail and manufacturing outlet around the corner from the Coachella Valley Animal Campus in Thousand Palms, without public opposition.
The 13,060-square-foot facility will be located at 72242 Watt Court, just off of Rio Del Sol, about a block from the animal shelter, according to the county Transportation & Land Management Agency.
The area is zoned light industrial and is roughly a half-mile from the nearest residences.
TLMA officials said the new facility will feature indoor cultivation space, on-site manufacturing and packaging or cannabis products, as well as administrative offices and a shop serving an unspecified number of clients daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
A delivery service will additionally be available during the same hours, seven days a week, the agency said.
Under the 10-year conditional use permit and development agreement, the operator, Kappkush Inc., will be required to make a first-year public benefits payment to the county totaling $62,245 to help offset increased public safety, public service and related expenses. An ongoing annual baseline payment of $80,000 will also be owed, increasing by 7% every year.
The Planning Commission unanimously approved the proposal on March 3 and forwarded it to the supervisors for final authorization.
The board previously authorized dispensaries and manufacturing facilities in nearby Bermuda Dunes, as well as unincorporated west Corona, Green Acres, Highgrove, Lakeland Village, Mead Valley and Temescal Valley.
The county's 2018 Marijuana Comprehensive Regulatory Framework, codified under Ordinance No. 348, provides for steps that prospective businesses must take to be eligible for permits. Safety and health safeguards are part of the regulatory stipulations.
To date, the board has approved only indoor marijuana manufacturing and distribution outlets -- not outdoor commercial cannabis grows -- in unincorporated communities.
