Revelstoke City Council supported the first application for a cannabis retail store in Revelstoke at their council meeting yesterday.
However, the province still has final say in whether or not they will grant the license.
Colin Murray and Chad Hollett have submitted plans to the city for Starbuds, to be located at 1o9 Connaught Ave.
City staff received both a referral from the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch and the corresponding Cannabis Retail Sales Application mid-November. It is the first referral for a cannabis retail sales license received by the city.
The location meets the minimum 100 metre buffer zone for schools, parks, daycare centres and other facilities that cater to youth and as there are no other cannabis retail stores in town at the moment the 100 metre buffer between stores is not applicable at this time.
READ MORE: Cannabis is legal, what do you need to know in Revelstoke?
The report also says that the business owners will not be re-developing the site or making exterior changes, but renovating the existing interior retail space.
Hollett, one of the Starbuds partners, was present at the council meeting.
“We will be here supporting the community as best as possible,” he said. “One of the big things of the whole process has been security and safety.”
Hollett said that the company has worked with security agencies to develop the best security policies.
The operating hours will be 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
City staff recommended that council provide a positive recommendation to the board with regards to the application.
“The applicants have expressly met requirements up to this stage in the process and continue to work with staff on ensuring that all parameters respecting Business Licensing issuance are fulfilled,” the report reads.
According to the report the city provided notice and invitation to comment to all property owners within 100 metres of the property.
The city received feedback from five individuals including Revelsmoke Glass and Vape Shop which requested that the city hold back from making their decision until they receive Revelsmoke’s referral from the branch, as they are also hoping to sell recreational cannabis.
As the cannabis framework currently stands, businesses in the downtown core need to be 100 metres apart. Revelsmoke and Starbuds would not be able to operate at the same time.
City policy also states that they are dealing with the applications on a first come first serve basis.
At the meeting the resident of the neighbouring house, Stacey Axford, also spoke, expressing concern over safety as they already have a lot of people wandering through their yard.