Pubdate: Wed, 25 Feb 2015
Source: Maple Ridge News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2015 Maple Ridge News
Contact:  http://www.mapleridgenews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1328
Author: Phil Melnychuk

GREENHOUSE CROP CONCERNS IN WHONNOCK

Whonnock residents are worried about the size, smell and the traffic
of a potential medicinal marijuana operation on 272nd Street, but the
man behind the project says it will be a showcase of high-tech growing.

By summer, a 40,000-sq.-foot greenhouse will be complete on a 15-acre
piece of property tucked into a low-lying area near Whonnock Creek.

Just what will be grown inside the glass is up to Health
Canada.

"The end use, in terms of crop, has not been determined," said Daniel
Sutton, president of the numbered company that's building the project.

Sutton is with Tantalus Labs in Vancouver, a medicinal marijuana
company that grows "sun-grown medical marijuana using purpose-built,
closed-system greenhouses."

Sutton said: "We're a greenhouse construction company, so the cannabis
aspect is clearly compelling to us."

However, Health Canada has not yet issued a licence to grow medicinal
marijuana at that location. The health agency is careful to whom it
grants licences, Sutton added.

"Which is why we're not betting the farm on cultivating medical
cannabis - betting the farm, literally."

Sutton said the operation will be highly automated with a small
workforce. Initial uses could be for a tree nursery or other
horticulture crops, but could switch to medical marijuana if a licence
is obtained.

Neighbours in the area are worried that odour from pot plants would
smell bad.

"Regardless, whatever crop we plant, odour will not be a
consideration," Sutton said.

Health Canada regulations require all grow facilities to filter indoor
air before it is exhausted. As well, security cameras and alarms are
required while the entire design of the facility has to ensure that it
prevents unauthorized access. Identification has to be tracked of
those who enter and leave marijuana production areas.

Medicinal marijuana productions are a permitted use within B.C.'s
Agricultural Land Reserve and municipal zoning isn't needed.

A permit has been issued to build an agricultural building on the
Whonnock site.

However, Tantalus Labs does have to meet city setback requirements,
and the city's regulations for protecting streams.

"We've gone above and beyond the expectation for environmental
restoration work," said Sutton.

Sediment runoff is being controlled, as required, and more than 2,200
trees and shrubs have been planted.

A nature conservation area is also required as part of the permitting
process.

According to the City of Maple Ridge, the project has both a building
permit and watercourse protection development permit. The latter
required an assessment of the streams nearby and set out vegetation
buffer areas that must remain along the streams. A restoration plan,
sediment control and environmental monitoring are other
requirements.

Peter Janis lives nearby is worried the operation will smell as much
as suspected illegal grow ops nearby.

Also, the industrial/agricultural project doesn't fit with the
surrounding homes, he added.

"This is going to be a major installation. It's absolutely huge," he
said.

"It's unbelievable that for 100 years, we regulated it, then all of a
sudden we say, 'Hey, go for it. It's illegal, now it's a free for all.'"

Janis is also worried about property values dropping, as the
greenhouse lies within the ALR, while surrounding residential
properties, such as his, are not.

"That seems, to me, there's something wrong," he said. "It just seems
to me there should be some kind of zoning."

John Nelson, another resident, is also worried about odours and
property values, as well as traffic and light pollution.

"This is a middle class residential neighbourhood in an historic area.
Just south from the property in question are two historic churches
[circa 1912 and1914]," he said in a letter to Health Canada.

He also wants the public to have some input into the project by having
a public forum, a measure that Sutton said he'd consider.

"We are interested in community outreach, so at some point it's
definitely feasible that we would host an informal meeting."

Maple Ridge council currently is reviewing a bylaw amendment removing
the requirement for medical marijuana operations to be at least a
kilometre from each other.

Staff are recommending the change because the requirement could
unfairly restrict future medical marijuana facilities from opening.
The restriction could unfairly impact one operation if another
operation receives its Health Canada licence to grow medicinal
marijuana first, despite the former applying earlier.

"Significant interest has been expressed by private investors to
locate new facilities in Maple Ridge," says a staff report.

Agrima Botanicals, which built a medicinal marijuana operation in
northwest Maple Ridge in 2013, is still waiting for its Marijuana for
Medical Purposes Regulations licence. The company is still waiting for
its pre-licence inspection.

In December 2013, Maple Ridge council decided medical marijuana
operations should only go in the Agricultural Land Reserve.

Maple Ridge Mayor Nicole Read said she understands how residents
feel.

"Is there anything we can do in terms of public notification?"

She said the company has notified the city about its plans, as part of
its application to Health Canada for a marijuana grow licence.

"This is something the public deserves to be aware of if it's going on
in their neighbourhood and we are now completely restricted. Not
great," Read said.

"The question is, does the city have the ability, at that point, to
communicate to the residents? Is there anything we can do in terms of
notification?"

She's asked staff for a report on what role the city can take in such
applications.

"We're so restricted with this with the way the federal government is
proceeding =C2=85whereby they grant the licence at the end of the process
=2E"

She also wants clarification from Health Canada on who responds to
complaints about odour or security. "They're not openly communicating
with us."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Matt