A controversial tier two cannabis processing and production facility with the potential to reside at 322 Cassidy Road will undergo a hearing examination today, Wednesday, Aug. 13.

About six weeks ago residents neighboring the proposed facility’s location were informed about the state processor and producer licensee Travis Palmer’s plan for the property.

Palmer originally purchased the 6 acres on Cassidy Road with a verbal understanding from county officials that rural residential and agriculture land would be appropriate property to seek for his purpose, but that was before April and county officials released their interpretation of marijuana as not agriculture. As a result, Palmer is in the midst of procuring a conditional use permit to move forward with his plan to construct up to four greenhouses for the purpose of growing and processing state recreational cannabis in a Rural Low zone.

“I’m prepared to listen to any concerns (at the hearing examination) and answer questions,” Palmer said. “We’ll see how it goes. There’s always other legal action I can take, but I am pretty confident it will happen (approval of the conditional use permit).”

Since the end of June, concerned residents from the area have banded together and held regular meetings to organize and unite in their attempt to stop Palmer’s greenhouses from being built within their neighborhood.

“We’re expecting a full house (at the public hearing),” said Kathryn McCready, a neighbor of Palmer’s property. “Our efforts have triggered a lot of interest from residents outside the community as well.”

Within 10 working days of the public hearing, the Clallam County Hearing Examiner will provide a written report either approving or denying Conditional Use Permit 2014-00009.

Going into the public hearing, “as a whole I think we’re feeling positive,” Brenda Carpenter said, speaking for the group of community members opposed to recreational cannabis facilities in residential areas.

“We’ve done our homework and we’re prepared to present our case,” Carpenter said.

Palmer’s is one of more than 14 Initiative 502 recreational cannabis processors and/or producers applications that are either pending or have have been approved, denied or withdrawn from the county’s conditional use permit process, including those in 2013.