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March 28, 2024 12:03 pm
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MTAB Open To Grow Facility…If It’s In The Right Spot

By VERNON ROBISON

Moapa Valley Progress

The Moapa Town Advisory Board (MTAB), at a meeting held Tuesday, May 28, heard a presentation from Just Quality company representatives. Just Quality is a cannabis producing company which is seeking a location to build a marijuana cultivation facility in Clark County. After some discussion, the MTAB members expressed an openness for the cultivation-only facility to be sited in Moapa, but they cautioned the company to take time to find the right location for it.

Just Quality consultant Jay Matos spoke first to the board, addressing what he called “a lot of misconceptions” on what the group is asking for. He emphasized that this proposal was not for a dispensary where cannabis products are packaged or sold to the public. No customers would be drawn to the area, he said. Rather this facility would be for cultivation only where there would be no interface allowed with the general public, or with the end user.

The grow house would be a fully enclosed greenhouse-like facility, Matos said. “It would look like any other industrial complex or warehouse buildings,” he said.

State regulations would require that no signage, advertising, logos or marketing of any kind could be placed on the buildings or the site that would draw attention to it. In addition, the site would have tight security as required by law. Only employees would be allowed in the area.

Matos added that the facility would start with offering about 100 jobs paying $15-20 per hour.

Matos also emphasized that the fledgling cannabis industry has already demonstrated its ability to be a good neighbor to the communities where it locates.
“Companies have hosted employee volunteer days where the employees leave the workplace and go out to help somewhere in the community,” Matos said. “They also regularly provide funding to pave streets, make improvements to parks – what do you need? It will be considered.”

Matos said that the companies are motivated to be good neighbors because of the huge investment they must make in satisfying tight regulations to build.
“They have far too much skin in the game for it to go wrong,” Matos said. “They want to keep good will with the community.”

All of this met with general approval among the members of the MTAB. But when the company representatives started talking about the specifics in their search for a site, the subject quickly became more complex.

Just Quality Vice President of Construction Roman Garcia explained that the team had been scouting the area and found a preferred site. It was located on a plateau overlooking the Warm Springs area, he said. The site was identified as the 14 acre parcel directly east of the Warm Springs Cemetery. Access to the site would be shared with the cemetery, Garcia stated.

Garcia said that the site was ideal for the cultivation facility. At a higher elevation, it was more secure and not easily accessible. It was out of the way enough to not be stumbled upon by passers-by. The property already comes with water rights which would also be purchased and used in the production. And the parcel had ready access to other needed utilities.

But when MTAB members realized this was the site being targeted, they were less than enthusiastic.
“When you were talking about this before, I thought that you were talking about a remote location,” said MTAB member Bob Lyman. “But this is not that.”

Lyman added that there were homes and neighborhoods nearby. In addition, the facility would be clearly visible up on the hill at the point of a promontory there, he said.
“It would be like a lighthouse up there for all the world to see!” he added. “You will have a lot of opposition from the community on that site.

“I know that it doesn’t look like it if you are coming from Las Vegas,” said MTAB member Lyn Wren. “But for us out here, that is a residential area. It just wouldn’t be the best place.”

Wren added that she also had been under the impression that the company was seeking a site in the industrial sector of town, along the Union Pacific railroad tracks.
“I support the industry,” she said. “I support you bringing jobs and revenue here. But this is just not a good location for it.”

MTAB member Jamie Shakespear pointed out that this industrial use would not be in harmony with the adjacent parcel. “When you go to a cemetery, you want peacefulness and solitude,” she said. “With 100 employees, at a shift change all going up and down that road, that’s not what it will be.”

Board members asked Matos if an alternative location in Moapa could be found. But Matos was uncertain. He pointed out that, with the high cost of regulation in the industry already, it would be difficult for the company to put in all of the utility and transportation infrastructure required for another spot in the Moapa industrial corridor.

“We appreciate your openness with us and all of the research you have done to understand us and what we are trying to do,” Matos said. “We have other towns who have accepted us. But we liked Moapa better. So we will keep looking.”

“Well we would love to have you here in Moapa,” said Lyman. “It just needs to be at another location.”

Wren made a motion advising Just Quality that the board was willing to consider the facility, but that they continue seeking alternative locations in Moapa for the board to review.

The motion was passed on a 3-1 vote, with MTAB chair Tim Watkins voting opposed.

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