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UPDATE: Two more cannabis stores approved by Revelstoke City Council

Council will be discussing at their 3 p.m. meeting on Oct. 22
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Unit B at 113 2nd Streat East is the proposed location for Evergreen Dream Cannabis. Most recently it was the location of The Green Moustache. (Jocelyn Doll/Revelstoke Review)

Revelstoke city council has supported a fourth cannabis store application.

At the council meeting Oct. 22, applicant Lauren Nagy sought support to open Evergreen Dream Cannabis in one of the retail spaces at 113 2nd Street East.

City staff supported the application and recommended council provide a positive recommendation to the provincial Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch for a non-medical cannabis retail store license.

READ MORE: Revelstoke’s first legal cannabis shop opens

Nagy is proposing the store be open from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week.

This request once again stirred discussion around the council table.

There were four public submissions from residents in the area, each expressing concern over the proposed hours of operation and some over the potential for increased late-night foot traffic.

“I believe that allowing a retail shop of any sort to operate such hours in a partial residential zone is detrimental the those living in this area and for the future worth of our properties with a likely negative impact,” said Yasmin Kassam, who lives in the neighbourhood.

Councillor Steven Cross voted against the motion.

“I think we’ve got the cannabis thing wrong, we are all learning,” Cross said. “I just think we should be slowing this down, I don’t think two hours is going to make a major difference.”

The location is zoned C-1, which allows for cannabis retail sales and it is more than 100 metres away from buffer zones for children as well as other proposed cannabis retail locations.

There would be no exterior changes made to the building to accommodate the store, rather, it will be a renovation to convert the existing retail space.

According to the city staff report from planning technician Michael Coulson, notifications of the proposed business were delivered to property owners and tenants within 100 metres of the site.

Revelsmoke

Council was also voted to support Revelsmoke, which was the second cannabis retail sales proposal to be brought before council back in August.

At that time, council approved a development variance permit to allow the business to operate despite it being less than 100 metres away from the nearest other cannabis retail location.

READ MORE: Second cannabis store in the works for Revelstoke

The province requires applicants to seek any necessary municipal approvals prior to referring the application to the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch.

As part of the application, neighbours were also asked to provide feedback. Summit Cannabis, who is the neighbouring cannabis retail store, expressed their frustration with the city for approving the variance that will allow Revelsmoke to operate within only eight metres of Summit’s location.

“We recently have been reviewing our legal rights in speaking with both our internal and external council and would like to plead with you to not approve this license,” the letter reads. “If so we will have no choice but to proceed with all legal options at our disposal to help recoup all revenue lost.”

At the meeting councillor Cody Younker spoke in response to the letter.

“I’m speaking for myself, but I don’t appreciate receiving an email basically threatening the council or trying to intimidate us with legal action into making a decision.”

Revelsmoke is currently operating as a glass and vape shop at 204 1st Street West.


 

@JDoll_Revy
jocelyn.doll@revelstokereview.com

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