2022-080 - The Community Benefit, Sustainable Business Practices, and Social Equity Plan

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through execution of an operating agreement and accompanying Community Benefit and Sustainable Business Practices plan, with the intent of ensuring commercial cannabis businesses remain engaged in providing direct benefits to the Santa Ana community. F. In 2018, the City Council adopted Ordinance Nos. NS-2941 and NS-2942, allowing and regulating commercial cannabis testing laboratories, and Ordinance No. NS- 2944, allowing commercial cannabis cultivation, manufacturing, and distribution activities. G. The City of Santa Ana desires to remain at the forefront of commercial cannabis by allowing and regulating commercial cannabis business activities, routinely updating and amending its ordinances, and establishing commercial cannabis gross receipts tax rates that are competitive and provide for the needs of the Santa Ana community. H. Measure BB and subsequent ordinances specified that commercial cannabis business activity is permitted in the City's light and heavy industrial zoning districts (M1 and M2) and must be located 1,000 feet from schools, parks, and properties zoned for residential uses. Proposition 64 subsequently set a minimum separation of 600 feet but allowed local jurisdictions to adopt lower or higher separation requirements. I. The City Council recognizes those entities that have remained on the Medicinal Cannabis Waitlist pursuant to Santa Ana Municipal Code Section 40-104, and those entities that were scored as part of the merit -based selection process in Section 40-9. J. Following redevelopment of industrial properties east of the Costa Mesa (SR- 55) Freeway, the City Council adopted a map of commercial cannabis eligible areas on March 20, 2018 in which commercial cannabis business activities could locate subject to full compliance with applicable local, County, and State regulations. K. Since the last adoption of the map, the increasing demand for industrial properties in Santa Ana following the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced the availability of commercial cannabis eligible properties in the industrial zoning districts, creating strain on cannabis business applicants, other business types, tenants, and property owners. In order to offer clarity and expansion opportunities to commercial cannabis business owners, the City desires to update the map to specify the exact parcels on which commercial cannabis business activities are permitted. The map is based on the original 1,000-foot buffer from sensitive land uses, including schools, parks, and residential zoning districts. L. The City of Santa Ana desires to maintain commercial cannabis businesses in locations adequately buffered from sensitive land uses such as schools, parks, and properties zoned for residential uses, while maintaining a sufficient amount of properties eligible to apply for and operate a commercial cannabis business. M. The City of Santa Ana has a compelling interest in ensuring that cannabis is not sold in an illicit manner, in protecting the public health, safety and welfare of its residents and businesses, in preserving the peace and quiet of the neighborhoods in Resolution No. 2022-080 Page 2 of 5