Pubdate: Wed, 24 Jul 2013
Source: Nelson Star (CN BC)
Copyright: 2013 Black Press
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/4kNvY8sy
Website: http://www.bclocalnews.com/kootenay_rockies/nelsonstar/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4866
Author: Greg Nesteroff

NORTH SHORE MEDICAL MARIJUANA REZONE NIXED

The Regional District of Central Kootenay has rejected a rezoning 
application from a North Shore couple for a proposed commercial 
medical marijuana operation.

The board took its lead this morning from area director Ron Mickel in 
denying the request to change the property's classification from 
residential to agricultural.

"The potential for impact on residences was too high," Mickel said 
after the meeting. "The applicant felt very strongly that there 
wouldn't be, but to go from a residential zone to an agricultural 
zone with basically an industrial development that close to a fairly 
heavily populated area, I don't think was right."

The decision follows a public hearing last month at which many people 
spoke against the rezoning application, citing concerns about 
unwanted attention being drawn to the neighbourhood among other 
things. However, the couple counted the support of other neighbours.

They were previously denied a variance application.

Mickel said while today's decision marks the end of the line for the 
property in question, the couple could still apply to rezone an 
adjacent, larger parcel of land which wouldn't have as much impact on 
the residential area.

The downside is they wouldn't be able to use or modify existing buildings.

"There are options available to them, but I don't know if they want 
to go through this process again because it has been onerous on them 
and on  staff," Mickel said. "It was a difficult decision. I think we 
all would have liked to see it succeed, but there are too many unknowns."

The couple doesn't yet have a license from Health Canada, but was 
hoping to be among the first to receive one under new federal regulations.

Those guidelines will see small growers phased out in favour of large 
commercial operations with high security.

The regional district board recently adopted a resolution restricting 
medicinal marijuana grow operations to agricultural land. Existing 
operations are all believed to comply with that rule.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom