It’s anticipated New Westminster could eventually be home to about a dozen cannabis stores, but it will start small and allow five stores in the first year.
When the production, distribution, sale and possession of non-medical cannabis becomes legal in Canada on Oct. 17, Canadian adults will be able to buy non-medical cannabis legally from authorized retailers.
“What staff have recommended is a relatively gradual phasing in of the cannabis retail locations,” said planner Mike Watson. “We have recommended initially limiting the intake to approximately 50 per cent of the anticipated number of cannabis stores. We would consider up to five cannabis locations in commercial areas across the city.”
The city will initially consider one store in each of the core commercial areas of downtown, uptown and Sapperton, as well as two locations distributed among the remaining commercial areas of 12th Street, 20th Street, Queensborough and Eighth Avenue/McBride Boulevard. Based on the number of liquor stores in New West, the city believes there could eventually be about 11 cannabis stores in the city.
"We don't know what the demand is going to be. We have certainly had a lot of interest from a lot of different people in terms of looking at locations,” Watson said. “We do anticipate we are going to see some interested applicants.”
The City of New Westminster has been developing a cannabis regulatory framework that addresses issues such as: land-use requirements for pot shops; guidelines that spell out how close cannabis shops can be from other shops, schools, playgrounds and other community uses; business licence regulations; cultivation, processing and warehousing requirements; public consumption; rezoning and business licence fees; and the application process for cannabis shops.
Council supported the city’s draft cannabis retail rezoning policy document in principle for use of considering cannabis locations in New West and directed staff to prepare bylaws needed to implement the cannabis regulatory framework. Council also directed staff to report back with more information about ways of evaluating applications, in case multiple applications are received in the same commercial areas, and processing the first intake of applications.
Council is expected to consider first and second readings of the cannabis bylaws on Aug. 27 and to hold a public hearing on Sept. 17. It remains to be seen how soon cannabis shops could open in New West.
Watson said staff anticipate launching the proposed month-long application process for initial applicants soon after council considers the cannabis-related bylaws. He said the typical process for liquor licensed premises is four to six months.
“It also depends on how many applications we get,” said Jackie Teed, the city’s acting director of development services. “Staff is certainly already working at maximum capacity with development applications, and it would be the same staff who are working on this, in addition to the business licensing staff. Depending on the model that we go with … it could take significantly longer than six months to get them all through.”
Fast facts:
* Cannabis retail uses will be considered through rezoning application on a site-by-site basis in areas zoned or designated for commercial retail uses.
* Cultivation, processing and warehousing would be permitted within an enclosed building in the M-2 heavy industrial district, which is located at least 60.9 metres (200 feet) from any school or residential site. The building must use filters in the ventilation, in addition to the separation requirements, to mitigate odor impacts.
* In addition to a $1,812 zoning fee for cannabis stores (the same as what’s in place for liquor stores), the city will require a non-refundable application fee of $5,400 and an annual licensing fee of $2,699 for cannabis retail stores.
* Business regulations would include: restricting hours of operation from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.; prohibiting business licences from being transferred to another party; requiring a security plan that’s been prepared by a professional; requiring proof of a monitored security and fire alarm contract, including video surveillance and storage of valuables in a secured location when the business is closed; requiring transparent shopfronts to ensure eyes on the street can see into the shop and is more esthetically pleasing; allowing the sale of cannabis paraphernalia only in cannabis shops; and requiring shops to have a minimum of two employees on-site when open.
* Another series of business license regulations, which largely duplicate the province’s requirements include: requiring criminal record checks for applicants and their board of directors, a training program for non-medical cannabis retail employees (if the province creates one that’s similar to Serving it Right training for liquor retail employees); prohibiting minors, consumption and sampling on the premises, as well as the sale of edibles. (The city will amend the regulations when and if the federal government legalizes edibles, which is expected to occur within a year.)
