City council voted down an proposed amendment to the zoning bylaw that would have allowed a cannabis retail store to be constructed between the Last Call Liquor Store and Grizzly Pub. (Photo via Google Maps)

Revelstoke city council rejects fifth cannabis retail store

Council votes down an amendment to the zoning bylaw that would have allowed for the project

Revelstoke city council has shut down an application for a fifth cannabis retail store in the city.

The proposal would have seen a store constructed between Grizzly Pub and Last Call Liquor Store.

City staff received the referral from the province on the project, however, before that could be considered the zoning bylaw had to be amended and a variance permit issued.

With a split vote on the approval of the rezoning, the motion was defeated. Mayor Gary Sulz and councillors Rob Elliott and Nicole Cherlet voted in favour while councillors Michael Brooks-Hill, Jackie Rhind and Cody Younker voted against.

Presently, the city’s zoning bylaw does not allow for cannabis retail stores in the CD-5 zone, which is found only in this one location in the city. There were also concerns about the proposed location as it is only 18 metres away from the museum, which hosts children’s summer camps every year.

City staff consulted other stakeholders when creating the report for council, including Interior Health. They were not supportive of the application as they do not approve of cannabis retail stores co-located with alcohol outlets.

Councillors Rhind, Younker and Brooks-Hill voted against the motion, saying that they didn’t think it was appropriate to make amendments to the city’s cannabis policy after such extensive work was done in the creation of it.

READ MORE: Revelstoke cannabis framework set for adoption on Oct. 16

City planner Paul Simon said there is another application in the queue for a cannabis retail store that will come before council sometime in the future.


 

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