BONITA — With a public hearing just days away for a re-zoning request to allow medical grade cannabis to be grown at one of the NatureSweet greenhouse sites, both sides on the issue are becoming more active.
Graham County Substance Abuse Coalition has come out against the requested rezoning, according to a text to Gila Valley Central from Kathy Grimes, the coalition’s executive director.
The coalition posted to its social media a request for coalition supporters to contact the Graham County Board of Supervisors to request a no vote on the re-zoning application, saying that, last November, Graham County voters were overwhelming in their opposition to the legalization of marijuana for recreational use.
Grimes texted Gila Valley Central to say that the coalition did not take a stand on the re-zoning request that will allow a marijuana grow in Eden, that was approved by the Board of Supervisors in April, because the coalition was unaware of the application.
Meanwhile, a group calling itself Graham County First has started a Change.org petition in support of the “Bayacan cultivation project application.”
“I urge you to approve the requested zoning approvals for this site, allowing for the continued economic development of Graham County and ensuring long-term stability for the region through job growth,” the closing paragraph of the petition reads.
The petition lists four e-mails as recipients — Graham County Supervisors Paul David, D-Dist. 1, John Howard, R-Dist. 2, and Danny Smith, R-Dist. 3, and the county’s Planning and Zoning Department.
Bonita, NatureSweet and the proposed re-zoning is in District 3.
Bayacan has proposed purchasing one of the greenhouse sites — Site 6 — from NatureSweet in Bonita, and submitted an application for re-zoning that would allow for the growing of medical-grade cannabis.
The re-zoning request will go before the Planning and Zoning Commission on June 16 for a public hearing and recommendation, and then the Board of Supervisors will be asked to take final action on the application June 21.
Bayacan submitted a similar re-zoning application late last year, but that was met by resistance from some Bonita property owners. The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended denial and, when the Board of Supervisors declined to postpone action, Bayacan withdrew its application.
Graham County code requires marijuana operations to take place in unlimited manufacturing land use (M-X) zone, which is why Bayacan is seeking a change from general land use (A zoning), under which the NatureSweet greenhouse site currently operates.
The Site Six greenhouses encompass 53 acres; however, officials at Bayacan told Gila Valley Central that about 48 acres were be used to farm and the other five would be used for equipment and administration.
Bayacan officials said if the re-zoning is approved, the company is seeking to hire 150 people for the first phase of development, at a starting salary of about $35,000 per year plus benefits. At build-out, the company expects to employ about 600.
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 2:44 p.m. Thursday, June 3, 2021, to note the addition of Supervisor Danny Smith to the list of recipients of the Change.org petition.
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 1:57 p.m. Friday, June 4, 2021, to note the Graham County Substance Abuse Coalition had re-posted to social media its opposition to the Bayacan application, as well as its lack of reason for not taking a position on the marijuana grow in Eden.
