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Zarina Otchkova, owner of WeGrow LLC, is planning a project on a portion of a 309-acre property she purchased early last year at 16750 Herrington Road, 17610 Sandy Road and 19678 Stinson Road in Middletown.
Otchkova went to the commission seeking approval of numerous cannabis-related licenses, a mitigated negative declaration and a use permit for the project, which includes 35 greenhouses, which during the meeting was described by a neighbor, Dan Levine, as an area equaling the size of 13 football fields.
Other aspects of the project include four 50-foot by 100-foot drying buildings, a 200-square-foot shed, four 2,500-gallon water tanks and fencing. The total cultivation area will cover nine acres.
During his report to the commission, Associate Planner Eric Porter said there has been a lot of public interest in the project, with 80 letters and comments submitted.
They also had gotten a letter from a law firm against the project and comments submitted by the Redwood Valley Pomo objecting due to aquifer usage. Porter said there was no way of doing an aquifer adequacy test.
After a comprehensive review and reviewing comments, Porter said he couldn't find a reason to recommend anything other than approval.
Otchkova and her consultant, Sufyan Hamouda of Lake County Planning Consultants – who also worked as an associate planner for a year for the county of Lake – attended virtually to answer questions.
“I do understand that this project has had a lot of public comments,” said Otchkova, explaining she and Hamouda had tried to read through each of the comments.
“We have considered all of these concerns in great detail,” she said.
Otchkova added, “A business cannot run without the support of its community.”
In a letter Otchkova submitted to the commission ahead of the meeting, she said she chose the property because it meets all of the qualifications for a major use permit for commercial cannabis cultivation.
“I am fully aware that this property will need modifications to continue to meet the requirements for a commercial cannabis business and I will implement those at every stage. At no point do I want to infringe upon anyone’s rights within the community, so if there are conditions that can be put in place to mitigate for any impacts this project may have upon the community, I will put those in immediately. I am not only here to mitigate, but I would like to be a positively contributing member of the community, so all comments are appreciated,” she wrote.
The letter can be read below.
Commissioner John Hess said there has been an enormous amount of community concern about stolen or unauthorized equipment found on the property, which reportedly resulted in a California Highway Patrol case.
Hamouda said the property was purchased early last year and since then none of Otchkova's team had been on the property regularly. He said he had contacted the CHP and the case didn’t pertain to Otchkova or her project.
Separately, Lake County News reached out to the CHP about the allegations of stolen farm equipment being recovered from the property but didn’t receive a response by the time of publication.
Hess said the stolen equipment was observed on the property in February 2020 after Otchkova purchased the land.
Hamouda said the CHP has not given him information on what occurred. “We are unsure of that situation to be completely honest with you.”
Water a main concern for neighbors
Nearly 20 community members provided comment to the commission, each raising concerns about the project which ran the gamut from traffic, safety, visual impact, smell, quality of life impacts, environmental damage and negative impacts on wildlife.
One of the key issues related to water, especially as Lake County faces a drought year.
Dan Levine said that, contrary to the findings in the initial study, many who live in the area will have a view of the project. He questioned how many generators would need to run it to support it if the power goes out.
Misha Grothe, who lives near the project area, said her biggest concern is the aquifers.
“I cannot understand how the county is willing to consider allowing such a massive consumption of water at this time,” Grothe said.
She said it’s close to other homes, not in a neighborhood area, and will decrease home values.
Mary Sullivan, who lives in the nearby Rim Rock Ranch Vineyards Estate, said she opposed the project, noting they are already having well failure in their community.
“We feel like it’s an imminent threat to our livelihood given what we’ve already experienced,” Sullivan said. “We could lose everything because of this development.”
Carly Swatosh-Sherman also was concerned about the millions of gallons of water the project would require, and said that it violates requirements of the Middletown Area Plan relating to protection of scenic ridges, oaks and quality of life.
“The proposal needs to be denied for countless reasons,” Swatosh-Sherman said.
Commissioner Lance Williams said the greenhouses would have to have blackout systems otherwise it wouldn’t be acceptable.
Hess said he understood there are strong feelings about the project and that he lives nearby. He said he’s looked high and low for a way to oppose it but didn’t find anything.
Porter noted that the greenhouses would have to have blackout screening before cultivation can occur. The project requires 20,000 gallons of onsite water storage, with an additional 5,000-gallon tank for water suppression. The commission also agreed to require an 8-foot-tall fence to screen it.
Hess moved to find the major use permit won’t have a significant effect, will Williams seconding and the commission approving the vote 4-0. Chair Batsulwin Brown had to leave the meeting before the vote.
Hess also moved to find the major use permit meets the requirements of the county zoning ordinance and grant it subject to conditions. Williams also seconded and the vote passed, 4-0.
The commission noted that the zoning ordinance provides for a seven calendar day appeal period.
Levine told Lake County News afterward that he expects an appeal will be filed.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
WeGrow LLC Public Comments Letter 4.21.21 by LakeCoNews on Scribd
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The group will meet at 5 p.m. via Zoom.
The meeting ID is 932 5558 1208, passcode is 439064. The meeting also can be accessed via phone at 1-669-900-6833.
Under old business, the group will discuss site visits with the US Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, the bridge approach over Scotts Creek at Scotts Valley Road and Hendricks, and applications being due for the advisory council applications.
Under new business, they will discuss use permits, management and monitoring of the Scotts Valley Water Basin and the Adopt a Road program.
During the meeting, community members also will be able to share their concerns with District 4 Supervisor Tina Scott.
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The following dogs are ready for adoption or foster.
‘Bear’
“Bear” is a male American Pit Bull Terrier mix with a short brown coat.
He is dog No. 3476.
‘Dorito’
“Dorito” is a male American Staffordshire Terrier mix with a short white and gray coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 4576.
‘Dusty’
“Dusty” is a male American Pit Bull Terrier with a tan and white coat.
He is dog No. 4750.
‘Hector’
“Hector” is a male American Pit Bull Terrier mix with a short brindle coat.
He is dog No. 4697.
‘Inky’
“Inky” is a male German Shepherd mix with a long black coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 4324.
‘Sassy’
“Sassy” is a female American Bully with a short black with white markings.
She is dog No. 4602.
‘Toby’
“Toby” is a friendly senior male boxer mix.
He has a short tan and white coat.
He is dog No. 4389.
Call the Clearlake Animal Control shelter at 707-273-9440, or email
Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or on the city’s website.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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A new study suggests that the dangers posed by wildfire smoke may also extend to the largest organ in the human body, and our first line of defense against outside threat: the skin.
During the two weeks in November 2018 when wildfire smoke from the Camp Fire choked the San Francisco Bay Area, health clinics in San Francisco saw an uptick in the number of patients visiting with concerns of eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, and general itch, compared to the same time of the year in 2015 and 2016, the study found.
The findings suggest that even short-term exposure to hazardous air quality from wildfire smoke can be damaging to skin health.
The report, carried out by physician researchers at the UC San Francisco, in collaboration with researchers at the UC Berkeley, appears on April 21 in the journal JAMA Dermatology.
“Existing research on air pollution and health outcomes has focused primarily on cardiac and respiratory health outcomes, and understandably so. But there is a gap in the research connecting air pollution and skin health,” said study lead author Raj Fadadu, a student in the UC Berkeley-UCSF Joint Medical Program. “Skin is the largest organ of the human body, and it's in constant interaction with the external environment. So, it makes sense that changes in the external environment, such as increases or decreases in air pollution, could affect our skin health.”
Air pollutants can slip through skin barriers
Air pollution from wildfires, which consists of fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, and gases, can impact both normal and eczema-prone skin in a variety of ways.
These pollutants often contain chemical compounds that act like keys, allowing them to slip past the skin’s outer barrier and penetrate into cells, where they can disrupt gene transcription, trigger oxidative stress or cause inflammation.
Eczema, or atopic dermatitis, is a chronic condition which affects the skin’s ability to serve as an effective barrier against environmental factors. Because the skin’s barrier has been compromised, people with this condition are prone to flare-ups of red, itchy skin in response to irritants, and may be even more prone to harm from air pollution.
“Skin is a very excellent physical barrier that separates us and protects us from the environment,” said study senior author Maria Wei, MD, PhD, a dermatologist and melanoma specialist at UCSF. “However, there are certain skin disorders, such as atopic dermatitis, in which the barrier is not fully functional. It's not normal even when you don't have a rash. So, it would make sense that when exposed to significant air pollution, people with this condition might see an effect on the skin.”
Even short burst of air pollution harms skin health
Earlier studies have found a link between atopic dermatitis and air pollution in cities with high background levels of air pollution from cars and industry. However, this is the first study to examine the impacts of a very short burst of extremely hazardous air from wildfires.
Despite being located 175 miles away from the Camp Fire, San Francisco saw an approximately nine-fold increase in baseline PM2.5 levels during the time of the blaze.
To conduct the study, the team examined data from more than 8,000 visits to dermatology clinics by both adults and children between October of 2015, 2016 and 2018, and February of the following year. They found that, during the Camp Fire, clinic visits for atopic dermatitis and general itch increased significantly in both adult and pediatric patients.
“Fully 89 percent of the patients that had itch during the time of the Camp Fire did not have a known diagnosis of atopic dermatitis, suggesting that folks with normal skin also experienced irritation and/or absorption of toxins within a very short period of time,” Wei said.
While skin conditions like eczema and itch may not be as life-threatening as the respiratory and cardiovascular impacts of wildfire smoke, they can still severely impact people’s lives, the researchers say.
The study also documented increased rates of prescribed medications, such as steroids, during times of high air pollution, suggesting that patients can experience severe symptoms.
Individuals can protect their skin during wildfire season by staying indoors, wearing clothing that covers the skin if they do go outside, and using emollients, which can strengthen the skin’s barrier function. A new medication to treat eczema, called Tapinarof, is now in clinical trials and could also be a useful tool during times of bad air.
“A lot of the conversations about the health implications of climate change and air pollution don’t focus on skin health, but it’s important to recognize that skin conditions do affect people's quality of life, their social interactions and how they feel psychologically,” Fadadu said. “I hope that these health impacts can be more integrated into policies and discussions about the wide-ranging health effects of climate change and air pollution.”
Co-authors of the paper from UCSF are Barbara Grimes, PhD and Albert T. Young, a MD candidate. From UCB: Nicholas P. Jewell, PhD. Co-authors also include Katrina Abuabara, MD and John R. Balmes, MD, who both have a dual appointment at UCSF and UC Berkeley; and Jason Vargo, PhD of the California Department of Public Health.
The study was supported by the UCSF Summer Explore Fellowship, the Alameda-Contra Costa Medical Association Summer Fellowship, and the UC Berkeley-UCSF Joint Medical Program Thesis Grant. For more funding details, please see the paper.
Elizabeth Fernandez writes for the University of California, San Francisco.