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The facility will be located within an existing industrial building at 1629 Ord Way near Oceanside Boulevard. File photo
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Left Coast to open cannabis manufacturing biz in Oceanside

OCEANSIDE — Oceanside City Council narrowly approved a conditional use permit and a waiver of locational criteria for a medical cannabis manufacturing facility at 1629 Ord Way during its Oct. 7 meeting.

The CUP and waiver were submitted by Left Coast, LLC, which obtained a local license for operation in May 2019.

The facility will be located within an existing industrial building at 1629 Ord Way near Oceanside Boulevard. The building is within an industrial park zoned for limited industrial use, which is also surrounded by similar zoning to the north, west and east. To the south of the facility across the Sprinter railroad tracks is a residentially zoned area.

The facility will manufacture cannabis vaporizer cartridges, isolate, tinctures and topicals as well as package flower and concentrates for medical use only.

Due to its nature, the facility is classified as a “Regulated Use” under the city’s zoning ordinance, which requires the Council-approved CUP. For cannabis uses with the exception of testing labs must stay 1,000 feet away from any other regulated use business as well as public and private schools, childcare facilities, public recreation facilities, religious worship facilities and residential zoning districts.

The facility did not meet the minimum separation distances for regulated uses, which is why the Left Coast applied for the waiver of locational criteria. The existing building is located approximately 150 feet to the nearest residential district to the south, 870 feet to the north and 450 feet to the northwest. The building is also located 350 feet from a church and 550 feet from a massage business.

According to Stefanie Cervantes, a city planner, staff found the project complies with the city’s General Plan policies, which includes requirements preventing harmful emissions or impacts. She said the facility is located within an industrial district and was found not detrimental to public health or the property.

Cervantes added that the business is screened from Oceanside Boulevard’s view and has no visible signage.

“The railroad track to the south also creates a barrier from the nearest residential uses,” Cervantes said.

Currently, Left Coast’s state license is considered inactive pending improvements to the facility.

Gina Austin, an attorney representing Left Coast, said the company has been in discussions with the state and will have its license reinstated as soon as the building is built to standard.

“Changes have to be made to make it consistent with state guidelines,” Austin said.

According to Austin, all of the operations will be conducted indoors, including the pickup and delivery of products, which is unique for a business like this.

“Most manufacturing facilities that you will find in neighboring cities — San Diego, La Mesa and a few others — all have their manufacturing indoors but the pickup occurs outside,” Austin said.

Austin also addressed the concern of odor, explaining that Left Coast has had no issues with its La Quinta facility regarding odor control. She explained that the facility will use activated carbon, a multi-unit filtration system that will eliminate 99.5% of all odors.

“If there’s any residual smell, you just add more filters,” Austin said.

Councilmember Ryan Keim and Deputy Mayor Jack Feller were both opposed to the CUP and location waiver approval, leaving Mayor Peter Weiss and Councilmembers Esther Sanchez and Christopher Rodriguez to cast the majority vote in favor of approval.

Keim cited concerns regarding Left Coast’s Instagram marketing, suggesting the models’ used to look like they could be underage. He said the company would need to completely change its Instagram marketing tactics to gain his approval.

Feller is generally opposed to cannabis operations within the city, having noted at the meeting he regrets ever agreeing to medical cannabis use in the city years ago.

“I don’t believe that this is good for any of our children,” Feller said.

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