A proposal to repurpose a cold-storage warehouse at 818 South Derby Street is before Arvin officials. Leef Arvin LLC has applied for a site development permit, a commercial cannabis permit and a development agreement to retrofit the existing building and place 12 large storage containers on the property.
City documents identify the site as an existing warehouse and cold-storage facility proposed for cannabis storage and processing. The Arvin City Council is considering the site development permit and development agreement, according to 23ABC News Bakersfield.
From Arvin to Willits
According to the station's report, the company plans to store cannabis in Arvin and transport it to Willits for processing into oils.
Hirsh Jain, a representative with Ananda Strategy, told the outlet the project could open a path to a national market and bring long-term economic benefits to Arvin. Those are the company's anticipated benefits, not outcomes established by the proposal.
Jobs Promised, Pending a Council Vote
Consultant planner Isaiah Medina told the outlet the project is projected to create about 12 full-time jobs initially and roughly 16 seasonal part-time positions during the cannabis harvest season. The estimates are contingent on the project moving forward; the proposal still requires a formal vote by Arvin City Council members.
This isn't the first time a cannabis operation has been proposed for the same stretch of South Derby Street. Back in July 2021, Arvin City Council records show the council had already introduced an ordinance approving a development agreement for commercial cannabis operations at 818 South Derby Street tied to Payne's Distribution, LLC, by a 4-0 vote, with a public hearing on the matter scheduled for later that month. Separate reporting from South Kern Sol described the council's unanimous approval of a cannabis manufacturing facility involving the City of Arvin, FSBT Holdings, Jam Realty Holdings and LEEF Holdings, intended for cannabis-based medicinals and therapeutics. That earlier deal was projected to generate $4.3 million in gross tax revenue for the city over five years and to create 30 to 40 full-time jobs with benefits, according to the outlet, while a related property at 744 Derby Street was slated for landscaping and fencing upgrades.
Documents from that 2021 proposal, reviewed by South Kern Sol, show the project requested four commercial cannabis permits covering indoor cultivation, volatile-solvent manufacturing, delivery-only and distribution activities.
How state cannabis licenses work
As regulatory context, the California Department of Cannabis Control says an active commercial cannabis license authorizes only activities allowed by the license type and at the location listed on the license.
What Comes Next
The Leef Arvin LLC proposal remains under review. Arvin City Council members must still vote on the site development permit, cannabis permit and development agreement before the project can proceed.
