Adelanto planning commission approves 10‑building cannabis industrial park near Daisy Road

The Adelanto Planning Commission on Dec. 18 unanimously approved a proposal to build a 10‑building cannabis industrial complex totaling 351,000 square feet on a 20‑acre parcel at the southeast corner of Daisy Road and Air Expressway.

Staff recommended that the commission adopt Resolution P‑19‑25, adopt a mitigated negative declaration and approve Location and Development Plan 18‑15 and Conditional Use Permit 18‑17 for the project. Chair Jones moved the resolution; the motion passed on a 5–0 voice vote.

The staff presentation said the property is zoned light manufacturing and the proposed buildings would meet yard‑setback, parking and height standards. Staff reported the warehouses would reach about 26 feet 6 inches tall; the project proposes approximately 11.2% landscaping overall and 602 parking spaces to serve both warehouse and retail frontage uses.

Sam, the applicant, told the commission he plans to build all 10 buildings concurrently and estimated grading and breaking ground in roughly two to three months, with some engineering tasks still to be finalized. “About 2, 3 months, we’re probably starting…bringing the utility to the lots,” Sam said when asked about timing.

Commissioners asked for clarification about plan sets and building configuration after staff said the most recent paper plans arrived Dec. 3 and the electronic copy was older; commissioners confirmed the current proposal is for 10 separate warehouse buildings rather than a larger attached structure.

During public comment, Councilwoman Jeanette asked about safety measures and odor control for the cannabis operations. Sam said the cannabis production area will be enclosed, surrounded by fencing with restricted access, and staffed with 24‑hour guards; he also said product handling would be sealed and cooled to limit odors. Staff noted a gate separating the front commercial uses from the cannabis area.

The commission’s approval was conditioned on findings in the staff report and the items listed in Resolution P‑19‑25. No written community benefit agreement was cited in the staff presentation; staff said cannabis permittees later applying for their operational licenses would provide statements about proposed benefits to the city.

What happens next: the approvals allow the developer to proceed with conditioned entitlement steps (final engineering, permits and building plan submittals). The project’s timeline depends on final engineering, financing and regulatory permits required for cannabis operations.