No go for medicinal pot grow on North Shore
By Nelson Daily Staff
By Suzy Hamilton, The Nelson Daily
The board of the Regional District of Central Kootenay unanimously voted against a rezoning application that would allow a north shore couple to grow medicinal marijuana under the new Health Canada regulations (MMPR).
“We turned it down because of the potential impacts and that it was no benefit to the community,” said Area F director Ron Mickel.
Mickel chaired a public hearing July 15 that heard from the North Shore couple and neighbours of Upper Parkview road location opposed to the change. Response to the proposal was split, although there were 22 letters of support submitted and 14 opposed.
Those against it were worried that their property values would decrease, those in favour cited local growth and job opportunities.
Upon review of the hearing, RDCK staff recommended that the application be denied.
The couple—who chose to remain anonymous—applied to the RDCK to amend the existing Country Residential (R2) zoning at 606 and 621 Upper Parkview Road to Agriculture (A4) for the sole purpose of applying to the federal government to grow medical marijuana under the new proposed Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations.
Mickel said that the size of the building, the proximity to neighbours, possible odors and noise were the main concerns.
“The traffic issue wasn’t a huge concern,” he said.
According to Mickel, medical marijuana users would obtain the product by courier and would not be coming to the site to purchase the medicinal cannabis.
The application raises a larger issue: if an area in the regional district has no zoning or official community plan, is the regional district involved in the Health Canada MMPR application.
“Yes,” said RDCK planner Sangita Sudan. “Health Canada will come to the RDCK to see if the application complies with our regulations.”
Staff has been working since the spring to determine the best fit for MMPRs in the RDCK region. The board chose to allow MMPRs in land zoned agricultural. But there are some areas, such as Blewett and the southern Slocan Valley that have no zoning or official community plans.
“Then with anything in the Agricultural Land Reserve, the is use is allowed,” she said.
According to Sudan, all land in Area F (North Shore Nelson, Sproule Creek to Bonnington) was removed from the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) some years ago. However, Area F has agricultural zoning, which is the amendment that the North Shore couple applied for.
Sudan said it was actually their application that brought the Health Canada changes in growing medicinal marijuana to light in the spring. “We were not aware of what was coming until these folks came forward.”
The North Shore couple decided to apply for the zoning before they make application for a license because they felt if they’re not going to get the zoning then why go through the MMPR application process Mickel said.
The Nelson Daily contacted the Upper Parkview applicants for comments regarding the RDCK’s decision.
The re-zoning applicant did not respond to the opportunity at the time this story went to press.
