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New West to consider cannabis store at River’s Reach

Could Number 4 be the charm for Reel Reef? As part of its plan to allow cannabis retail shops to open in New Westminster, city council agreed to start by allowing one store to open in four different neighbourhoods.
River's Reach
New Westminster city council will consider a cannabis shop at 320 Sixth St. Space in the River's Reach liquor store would be divided, with part of the space becoming home to Reel Reef.

Could Number 4 be the charm for Reel Reef?

As part of its plan to allow cannabis retail shops to open in New Westminster, city council agreed to start by allowing one store to open in four different neighbourhoods. Following a process that included a checklist to rank the applicants, Muse Cannabis was selected as the successful applicant in the uptown.

However, a staff report indicates the store approved at 532 Sixth St. is unable to proceed “due to unforeseen concerns regarding the proposed business from the property owner and/or registered interests on title of the property.”

“The first selected applicant was unable to proceed. Then staff did go down the list through two other applications – one had already been withdrawn and the other one was no longer able to obtain a lease at their location,” said Mike Watson, senior development planner. “So this was the applicant following those two, as you progressed down that list. We followed that process as originally outlined.”

River's Reach
New Westminster city council will consider a cannabis shop at 320 Sixth St. Space in the River's Reach liquor store would be divided, with part of the space becoming home to Reel Reef. - Theresa McManus

Reel Reef is proposing to open at 320 Sixth St., which is the River’s Reach Pub and Liquor Store property. The 37.2-square-metre (400-square-feet) cannabis shop would share an entry space with the existing liquor store.

Watson said the applicant proposes to divide space in the current retail store between a cannabis retail store and a liquor retail store.

“The pub itself would not be affected at all,” he said.

Council has given two readings to a bylaw that would allow the retail sale of cannabis at 320 Sixth St. and staff will schedule a public hearing.

Coun. Chuck Puchmayr opposed the staff recommendation. He questioned why the city would immediately move on to another application without seeking council’s input on whether it still wanted another store to be considered at this time.

“I know that council did initially supply a number of stores that they thought would be appropriate for the city, but I would have liked to have open it up again rather than go to the next proponent,” he said. “The government might want to put one in in the mainland of New West. I’d certainly want to look at that – high-paying jobs, good pensions at the end. I’m a little surprised that we merely went to a failed applicant.”

After the city endorsed the cannabis stores it would consider in the various neighbourhoods, some of the applicants who weren’t recommend in the first round of store openings expressed concerns about the scoring process – including the Reel Reef applicant.

Emilie Adin, the city’s director of development services, said staff has been continuing to follow the initial direction and process approved by council, which included having one cannabis retail store in each neighbourhood.

“I am satisfied with the process,” said Coun. Mary Trentadue. “I think that this applicant actually did participate in the original process and did so fairly and contributed their time and funds to do that.”

According to a staff report, two of the six cannabis stores approved in New Westminster are currently operating, two more are expected to open soon and one application is still awaiting reviews for the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch. Staff will report back to council in early 2021 about whether additional applications for cannabis stores should be considered.

In addition to giving two readings to the zoning amendment bylaw regarding the proposed store at 320 Sixth St., council also supported a zoning amendment bylaw to remove the retail sale of cannabis as a permitted use at the Sixth Street site that cannot open as planned.

Council is also considering bylaw amendments that would allow edibles to be sold where the retail sale of cannabis is allowed. Cannabis product such as edibles (candies, gummies, baked goods, etc.), extracts and topicals were not allowed under federal or provincial regulations when the city developed its cannabis regulation framework, but they’ve been permitted under federal regulations since October 2019.