On Bell Street in Los Alamos, you will find a general store, some restaurants, an art gallery and a post office.
But pretty soon, the town’s first retail cannabis shop could also be opening up.
“I think it will be another income, revenue source for the town,” said Deborah Hobbs, an artist at the Los Alamos Gallery.
She says her storefront does not typically see much foot traffic throughout the day, which is why she is optimistic about how a new cannabis shop could benefit the area.
“Every new business that opens is going to bring more people in,” Hobbs told KSBY. “It is such a small place that they are going to find us.”
Earlier this month, the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission unanimously approved a proposal from Southern California-based company, Haven, to construct a cannabis shop on the vacant lot off the 500 block of Bell Street.
Just next door, Bruce Kincaid of Bob’s Well Bread, says he too is unopposed to the development.
“I mean, a cannabis shop and a bakery? That kind of goes hand-in-hand I would say,” he laughed.
According to county plans, cannabis consumption would not be permitted at the incoming shop and there would be on-site security, a check-in and limited access points.
Kincaid adds that the approval of a cannabis shop in Los Alamos is a sign of growth within the town.
Looking at renderings of the proposed cannabis shop, Hobbs says she likes how its design appears to fit in with the Western-style architecture found throughout Los Alamos, which is why she isn’t concerned about how the coming development could distract from the small-town feel.
“That lot has been vacant forever, and the building, if they do it the way it is designed on the poster over there, it looks nice. It looks like it will fit into the environment of the town,” she added.
KSBY News reached out to Haven Cannabis for comment on their new store but did not hear back before deadline.
County officials say building permit applications for the cannabis shop could be issued within the coming weeks.
