Laserfiche WebLink
File Number: 15-463 <br />• Davis Street Wellness Center <br />• Harborside San Leandro <br />In late August, the inter -departmental staff working group conducted site visits to dispensaries <br />operated by the above three application teams. Staff also conducted due diligence on each of <br />the three teams. These efforts included contacting references, having discussions and <br />communications with staff persons from the City of Oakland, the City and County of San <br />Francisco, Alameda County, the California State Department of Justice, and the Federal <br />Bureau of Investigation, who are familiar with the aforementioned collectives' or cooperatives' <br />operations in other jurisdictions. <br />Overview of Dispensary Operator Recommendation <br />Based upon staff's assessment of the submitted application materials, interviews with the <br />dispensary teams and site visits, staff recommends that the dispensary permit should be <br />awarded to Harborside San Leandro (hereafter referred to as HSL). HSL is recommended <br />based upon the factors outlined below. <br />Demonstrated Experience <br />Harborside stood out among all of the applications because of its outstanding reputation and <br />demonstrated experience. Harborside's Oakland facility was one of the four original <br />dispensaries that were permitted to operate within the City of Oakland, having opened its <br />doors nearly 9 years ago. Harborside Oakland quickly rose to prominence pioneering the <br />development of methods and practices, further outlined below, that are generally considered <br />among the best in the burgeoning medical cannabis industry. <br />Business Plan & Budgets <br />A review of HSL's business plan and bank statements demonstrates that it has more than <br />sufficient capital to develop and build out a high-quality facility that will create a clean, <br />welcoming atmosphere for San Leandro residents to acquire medicine. In congruence with <br />HSL's business plan and the staff site visit to Harborside Oakland, the City Manager feels <br />assured that HSL's facility was accurately described in its proposal, in that it will be a clean, <br />professional, and well -operated establishment that provides a wide range of medicinal <br />products, with high quality customer service, a welcoming atmosphere, and a holistic <br />approach to serving its customers. Furthermore, since Harborside already operates a <br />dispensary nearby in Oakland, HSL does not plan to purchase product from vendors, store <br />bulk product, or separate product in San Leandro, which the City believes should keep the <br />amount of traffic, on-site processing activity and on-site medicine inventory relatively low. <br />Security Measures <br />Harborside also maintains a substantial security system at its Oakland facility, which HSL <br />states that it will essentially mirror at its San Leandro facility. The Oakland facility had multiple <br />guards posted visibly outside and within the facility, including two who checked paperwork <br />prior to dispensary entry. Staff also observed a communication system between the security <br />guards and staff who were monitoring the cameras, a metal detector at the entrance, and <br />biometric (fingerprint) security access systems throughout the facility keyed to employees who <br />had varying levels of security clearance within the cooperative. <br />If HSL is awarded the permit, HSL commits that other features at the San Leandro facility will <br />City of San Leandro Page 4 Printed on 9/212015 <br />