What is our cannabis future?
Sonoma County has a long history with marijuana and cannabis, much of it being half-hidden from public view and cloaked in outlaw fables and underground commerce. Most of that is now changing as county officials, certified growers and concerned citizens haggle over land use and safety rules to define where — and where not — commercial cannabis cultivation and related activities should be allowed. Final decisions will not only determine where the crop will be allowed, but will also define who will be the prominent face of our newest multibillion dollar ag enterprise. Will Sonoma County retain its pot legacy of smaller cottage industry growers or will it be dominated by large corporate enterprises, descending here atop a promised/threatened Green Rush?
Council approves lease agreement for cell tower
After much deliberation, discussion and a 4-1 vote on May 17, the Healdsburg City Council approved a land lease agreement between the city of Healdsburg and GTE Mobilnet of California Verizon Wireless for the construction and operation of a 70-foot wireless telecommunications tower at 923 South Fitch Mountain Road adjacent to Tayman Park Golf Course.
WSCUHSD consolidated high school gets a working name
The contested union of Analy High School and El Molino High School has a new working name: West County High School.
Grant in the works for vegetation management project for Fitch Mountain
On May 17, the California Coastal Conservancy announced plans to recommend a grant to the city of Healdsburg for vegetation management in open space areas of Fitch Mountain.
Sebastopol City Council to discuss budget priorities
At the last city council meeting, Mayor Una Glass, who is also on the city's budget subcommittee, began a discussion on the topic of “Relaunching Sebastopol,” but that turned almost immediately into a request for guidance from the council as a whole about city priorities.
County’s cannabis conversation gets a reset
Sonoma County’s conversation over commercial cannabis cultivation hit a big reset Tuesday morning, May 17, when the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to require themselves to conduct a full-blown programmatic environmental impact report (EIR) prior to completing any updates to the current commercial cannabis cultivation ordinance first adopted in 2018.
