During last week’s Torrance County Commission meeting, the commission reviewed and then denied an appeal by Quick Grow, LLC, that sought approval for a Conditional Use Permit to build a cannabis greenhouse.
Quick Grow is a New Mexico Domestic Limited-Liability Company filed on May 15, 2024, represented by Bunting Chen.
Chen argued that Quick Grow complied with all requested requirements and should not be forced to upgrade the site’s infrastructure for the approval of the permit.
Since the CUP was initially denied, Chen appealed the commission’s decision by providing a revised application highlighting the enhancements of the light leaks and resolving the odor measures.
Residents voiced their concerns about the project, and Commissioner Sam Schropp recused himself from the case due to his proximity to the proposed greenhouse’s location.
Todd Smythe, Hayley Malchak, Donald Romero, John Humphries and Brandon Fuchs are a few of the citizens who spoke against the appeal during the meeting.
The main concerns reviewed in the meeting included opposition to turning agricultural land into commercial land, the enforcement of the permit conditions, the limitation of law enforcement in the area and potential health and safety risks such as air filtration, light pollution and fire suppression.
During the meeting, Fuchs suggested the commissioners visit the area before deciding whether to approve or deny Quick Grow’s appeal.
After a brief recession, the commissioners voted to uphold the denial of Quick Grow’s permit.