Public hearing on cannabis business comes before Redding Planning Commission on Tuesday

Redding, which has seen two commercial cannabis cultivation businesses open so far this year, could get a third cannabis manufacturing company.

The Muse Cannabis Manufacturing, Distribution and Warehousing Project has applied to construct two commercial buildings on a now-vacant, 11.2-acre property located at 3610–3680 Technology Way.

The application from company representative Ryan Muse will be the subject of a public hearing before the Redding Planning Commission next Tuesday. The public hearing begins at 4 p.m. in the Redding City Council Chambers, 777 Cypress Ave.

Company representative Muse has requested approval to construct two buildings to house commercial cannabis operations that include a 100,000-square-foot growing facility.

The proposal also calls for a 43,132-square-foot manufacturing and distribution facility on the land, which is zoned for commercial use.

The company estimates the business will employ between 40 to 50 full-time workers.

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Ryan Muse, a Redding native who owns Shameless O'Leery's Irish Pub on California Street. He did not respond to requests for comment about the proposed cannabis business.

After clearing the Planning Commission, the proposed project would then need to receive a cannabis business license from the city of Redding.

The proposed site is adjacent to residentially-zoned land to the east, separated by a 100-foot-wide easement for the Anderson Cottonwood Irrigation District (ACID) canal. A single-family subdivision originally approved in 2008, Wyndham Point, is currently under construction at this location, the city’s report said.

Development of the proposed project will require extending the public water line under the ACID canal to Wyndham Lane in an existing easement, the report said.

The city has determined the proposed development would not “have a significant effect on the environment.”

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The draft document was distributed to nearby property owners in late August and there have not been any comments received, according to a report from Redding Planning Manager Lily Toy. The public review period ended on Thursday.

The proposal includes various features to minimize issues with residential neighbors.

All service doors and loading facilities are located to the rear or sides of the buildings, not in view of the street or residential district. Delivery truck operations would be restricted to the hours of 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. to avoid noise disturbances across residential property lines, according to the staff report.

Buffers including landscaping and an eight-foot-high wall have also been proposed.

Redding now has two cannabis cultivation businesses. Mountain Lakes Manufacturing opened in February at 4695 Mountain Lakes Blvd., while Wicked Gardens LLC opened at 3048 S. Market St. in March.

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In addition, five retail cannabis companies have opened in Redding in the past two years. A sixth, combination retail and cultivation business Bulldog Holdings LLC, is awaiting a city license to open at 6744 Lockheed Dr.

Three cannabis businesses proposed to conduct cultivation, manufacturing and distribution are also awaiting licenses to operate, said Steven Signor, cannabis business licensing coordinator for the city. 

Redding's share of taxes collected from cannabis companies is growing and already on track to surpass the amount collected last year, city officials said.

Cannabis tax revenue for the fiscal year ended in June was $793,948. So far in the current fiscal year, which began in July, the city has collected $404,029, said Redding Director of Finance Allyn Feci Clark.

Michele Chandler covers city government and housing issues for the Redding Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. Follow her on Twitter at @MChandler_RS, call her at 530-225-8344 or email her at michele.chandler@redding.com. Please support our entire newsroom's commitment to public service journalism by subscribing today.