Royal Gold Soil Operation Conditional Use Permit PLN-2021-17077

Royal Gold Soil Operation Conditional Use Permit PLN-2021-17077

A Conditional Use Permit to authorize an existing soil manufacturing and wholesale distribution facility. Operating year-round, daily activities primarily involve the blending and mixing of potting soils, raw material processing, and shipping and receiving activities. Coco pith is used as the basis for their soil products, though other components include: sawdust, compost, chicken manure, and fish bone. All of the materials used are imported to and processed at the project site. Manufacture of the final soil product requires grinding, screening, sorting, stockpiling, mixing, and packaging of these materials. The business began operating from the site in 2009, without the benefit of County review. An earlier Initial Study & Mitigated Negative Declaration (SCH #2016032061) was adopted by the Planning Commission during approval of the Use Permit in August 2016. Following this, the project was appealed to the Board of Supervisors and subject to litigation. After entering into a legal settlement and completing extensive improvements to the site designed to address water quality concerns, the appeal was withdrawn. The project has been resubmitted for consideration and revised to reflect these changes, as well as increases in operations and use of the site and changes to the footprint of existing and planned new facilities. Operations now span various contiguous parcels on the north side of Glendale Drive, totaling approximately 45.98 acres. Since August 2016, a number of unpermitted improvements have been constructed, including: two new buildings totaling approximately 12,180 ft.² as well as an approximately 1,500 ft.² addition to the amendment storage building. Other improvements and changes to the project include: installation of two portable office buildings, a fueling station, generators, paving, conversion of wetlands to stormwater detention basins and parking/driveways, construction of berms, security fencing, and a host of various stormwater improvements. Additional new improvements are proposed and include the construction of four new buildings totaling approximately 99,000 ft.², a fueling station, new equipment, additional security fencing, additional security lighting, additional paving, extension of electric utility infrastructure, additional stormwater improvements, conversion of wetlands to stormwater detention features, and incorporation of fertilizer production activities. A Special Permit is also being requested to allow reduction of setbacks to on-site wetlands and riparian areas, filling of on-site wetlands, and conversion of wetlands to stormwater detention features. To offset these impacts, the project includes the following mitigation measures: construction of a 3.2-acre wetland in the northwest portion of the site, planting of the 50-foot upland buffer for the mitigation wetland with native species, and enhancement of the existing on-site wetlands remaining on the property. *See https://ceqanet.opr.ca.gov/2016032061 for earlier IS/MND.

Humboldt

Northern California

California Air Resources Board (ARB), California Department of Conservation (DOC), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Northern and Eureka Region 1 (CDFW), California Department of Parks and Recreation, California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, California Department of Transportation, District 1 (DOT), California Department of Water Resources (DWR), California Highway Patrol (CHP), California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC), California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, North Coast Region 1 (RWQCB), California State Lands Commission (SLC), Department of Toxic Substances Control, Office of Historic Preservation, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Quality

Industrial (Soil Manufacturing and Distribution operation)(Sq. Ft. 2003760, Acres 46, Employees 60)

Use Permit

Aesthetics, Air Quality, Biological Resources, Energy, Hazards & Hazardous Materials, Hydrology/Water Quality, Land Use/Planning, Mandatory Findings of Significance, Noise, Tribal Cultural Resources, Utilities/Service Systems, Wetland/Riparian