Agassiz residents will get a chance to make their opinions heard on the future of retail cannabis stores in the District of Kent this July.
Council will be holding a public hearing on its proposed zoning and business licence bylaw amendments, which could see a store selling cannabis come into the downtown Agassiz area.
Back in the fall and winter of 2018, Kent staff undertook a public consultation to see what kind of rules and regulations residents would like to see if a pot shop came into Agassiz. The results were divided, but overwhelming respondents said they didn’t want cannabis stores anywhere near schools or day cares.
RELATED: Agassiz residents want pot shops, but not near schools
“I think in some ways, staff were surprised the support for it, but we might get a different story during the public hearing,” director of development services Darcey Kohuch said.
| If proposed bylaw amendments go through, one cannabis store will be allowed in Agassiz, as long as it is in the commercial core of Agassiz and is at least 125 metres away from schools. The blue coloured properties would not be able to have a retail cannabis store. (District of Kent) |
The district is considering a $5,000 business licence fee, with a $1,500 fee for processing a provincial retail licence application. (The fee would be $1,000 to process changes to a provincial retail licence.)
In response to this engagement, staff have proposed bylaw amendments that would allow for one government-operated retail cannabis in the commercial centre of Agassiz, so long as it was at least 125 metres away from school and 200 metres away from child care centres. Its opening hours would be restricted from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (rather than the provincial requirements of 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.).
Council gave the amendments first and second reading Monday night (June 24), although some councillors still have concerns.
“If I had a preference, I would have it in the eastern portion” of the Agassiz townsite, Coun. Stan Watchorn said about the store.
“We have a number of our students and kids that go to the recreation centre down this way, and I would much prefer them not have to go past a retail store for cannabis on a regular basis to go to the pool or go to the rec centre,” he said. “I recognize we’re limiting one, and we’ve got some good separation. But I think the more it is in the mind’s eye and visible to kids, that’s less desirable.”
Watchorn was reluctant to move or second any of the readings, because of his opposition to having cannabis stores around children.
Coun. Duane Post also spoke at the meeting, saying that if people don’t want one in the community, “I can easily be swayed to not support it.”
“If community really doesn’t want it, then we don’t need to do it,” he said. “It brings some tax dollars and a few jobs to some people, but like Coun. Watchorn said, it’s not good for students or younger people. What good could come out of it?”
After Post’s comment, Kohuch made a point to note that council will be listening to all comments made at the public hearing with an open mind.
“At this point, council is just saying that they want to hear what the community has to say, in addition to what we did with the consultation we’ve done to date,” he said.
The public hearing will take place on Monday, July 22 at 6 p.m. in the Kent council chambers.
grace.kennedy@ahobserver.com
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