(UPDATE: Mar. 2 @ 11:20 am) – On Tuesday, Kelowna City Council voted to move forward with a rezoning application to allow for a retail cannabis store on St. Paul Street.
The development application was submitted on June, 8, 2021 and initial consideration was given by council on Feb. 7, 2022.
During Tuesday's public hearing, a member of the neighbourhood raised concerns over the private elementary school located just across the street as well as ongoing security concerns for the neighbourhood.
Kelowna’s policy for a 150 metre distance between cannabis stores and elementary schools only applies to public schools.
City staff added that the private school is looking to relocate a couple blocks away but the application is still under the building permit process and a year or two away from gaining an occupancy permit.
Coun. Given also voiced concerns over the downtown area becoming over-saturated with cannabis stores. However, the location falls in line with the city's requirement for a 500 metre distance between cannabis stores.
In the end, council voted to give the rezoning application final readings, with councillors Given and DeHart opposed.
The application will now be moved forward with a recommendation sent to the Provincial Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch. If approved, the City of Kelowna will issue a building permit.
(UPDATE: Feb. 20 @ 1:20 pm) – Kelowna city council have set the date for the public hearing that will discuss a proposed cannabis store located at 1310, St. Paul Street.
Residents who would like to tune in or have their voices heard are advised that the hearing will be hosted on Tuesday, Mar. 1 at 6 pm.
The application submitted by Vibona Enterprises Ltd. seeks to have the subject property rezoned from from industrial to commercial zoning to allow for the cannabis store to be developed.
If the public hearing and council deliberations approve the proposal for the store, city staff will make a further recommendation to seek a non-medical cannabis licence from the Provincial Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch.
Public hearings are streamed online through this link.
(UPDATE: Feb. 7 @ 3:45 pm) – Today, Kelowna city council agreed to forward the rezoning application for a proposed cannabis retail store on St. Paul Street to a public hearing.
As part of the review process for cannabis licencing, the local government must first provide a recommendation before the application is sent to the Provincial Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB).
Ultimately, the LCRB has final say on the cannabis sales licence.
However, council determined that this application and the rezoning does indeed require more input from the public – particularly from people living in the surrounding area.
Overall, this application follows the City of Kelowna’s policy for a 500 metre distance between cannabis stores and other bylaw requirements.
A date will be announced in the near future for this public hearing, so be sure to visit this link to stay up-to-date on City of Kelowna public hearings. Public hearings are normally held twice a month on Tuesdays at 6 pm.
NowMedia will update this story when that date is announced.
(Original Story: Feb. 6 @ 11:12 am) – Kelowna city council will be debating a bylaw rezoning that could allow for a retail cannabis store to go up on St. Paul Street.
Vibona Enterprises Ltd. submitted a development application in June 2021 to redevelop the property located at 1310 St. Paul St, next to the Columbia Bottle Depot.
City staff are recommending that council consider rezoning the property from industrial to commercial and that the rezoning bylaw be forwarded to a public hearing for further consideration.
If the public hearing and council deliberations approve the proposal for the store, city staff will make a further recommendation to seek a non-medical cannabis licence from the Provincial Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch.
The original application was received before the first intake of cannabis store applications closed in November, 2018, however, the applicant was unable to finish the rezoning application.
Eventually, the applicant resubmitted their application in 2021 and city staff decided to forward the application to council.
The subject property has some history and was initially constructed in the 1960s as a single-family dwelling before it was converted into a restaurant named La Petite Maison in 2013.
However, the building has remained unoccupied since 2019 after the restaurant's business licence was not renewed.
“Should council support the proposed rezoning application a development permit application and subsequently a tenant improvement building permit application will be required to facilitate the conversion to allow a retail cannabis sales establishment,” explains the report that is being presented to council.
The report indicates that the applicant has explored a number of different development scenarios including redeveloping the entire lot “versus a tenant improvement-oriented design.”
The applicant is proposing a newly paved parking lot at the back of the store, a full range of landscaping and renovating the building’s exterior.
NowMedia staff will update this story with the final decision after the regular council meeting on Feb. 8.
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