The Cariboo Regional District (CRD) rejected an application for rezoning to facilitate cannabis production in Lone Butte.
They had quite a lengthy discussion about it, says CRD Area L Director Willow MacDonald.
“It wasn’t a ‘we never want to see this.’ It was ‘we don’t know how this is gonna go and putting it right in the middle of a residential area is not the wisest idea at this point in time.'”
There are a number of issues, such as smell, that the CRD doesn’t currently have bylaws for, says Willow, adding that they wouldn’t be able to enforce anything surrounding issues like that at this time.
“So I think coming down like in [the] future we might get better at answering these questions. We might get better at asking better questions.”
Willow emphasized the location was a primary factor in their decision.
They looked at the map for a long time and, with the advisory planning committee being residents, the CRD should take their perspective into consideration, she says, also pointing to the community plan.
“The immediate [surroundings] of this application was intended to be residential,” she says “It really was rural residential to industrial safety concerns, smell concerns. Would that affect property values and how do you enforce a farming practice in a rural residential neighbourhood.”
The advisory planning commission recommended rejecting the application of smell, it being a residential area, potential security issues and setting a precedent.
“Do we want to make that a condition of living in our neighbourhoods when we can input beforehand?” says Willow.
The size of the proposed facility was 375 sq. m (4,036.47 sq. ft).
We were unable to find contact information for the applicant.
