News

Pushing ahead in Vernon

Published on November 29, 2018 by David Wylie

A public hearing in Vernon on proposed cannabis policies attracted a full house.

About 60 residents attended  meeting set to seek feedback on the North Okanagan hub’s policies around pot.

The response appears positive.

“We received one letter of support from the Downtown Vernon Association and one member of the public spoke in support,” said city spokesman Nick Nilsen.

“No one spoke against the proposed changes.”

He said the proposed amendments will now be forwarded to the Ministry of Transportation (all text changes related to land use bylaws need to be reviewed by the Ministry of Transportation). The city expects to receive the results of the ministry’s review soon.

“The changes should come into effect at the Dec. 10 council meeting,” he said.

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Original: Nov. 20, 2018

Vernon is still in the midst of gathering feedback on how to handle cannabis in the North Okanagan hub.

Those interested will have another crack at the bat to have their say and gather info.

Nick Nilsen, Manager, Communications and Grants, told us that there’s an upcoming public hearing Nov. 26 at 5:30 p.m. about changes to the zoning bylaw. It takes place at Vernon City Hall.

“It is not in relation to any particular shop or activity,” he said.

Vernon expects to be in a position to receive applications beginning late January 2019.

The city is in the process of changing the land use bylaw to allow cannabis-related activities. Council will debate the suggested changes; then a public hearing will be held before final approval.

Some finer details

Licensing

The process for obtaining a cannabis retail licence in Vernon looks like this:

• The retailer needs to apply for a license from the province

• The province sends the application to the city

• The city reviews it to ensure it meets the zoning requirements

• If approved, the city informs the province and the province makes the decision to issue the licence, or not

• The city expects to be in a position to receive applications beginning in late January

Pot-friendly spots

Bylaw number 5000 is proposed to be amended to permit cannabis cultivation facilities in A1 (Agriculture within the ALR) and I1 (Light Industrial); to permit cannabis processing facilities in I1 (Light Industrial) and I4 (Business Park); and to permit cannabis retail sales in C3 (Mixed-Use Commercial), C4 (Street-Oriented Commercial), C5 (Community Commercial), C6 (Village Commercial), C7 (Heritage Business District), C8 (Central Business District), C9 (Regional Commercial), C10 (Tourist Commercial), C11 (Service Commercial), C12 (Convention Hotel Commercial), RTC (Resort Commercial), CD1 (Comprehensive Development Area) and CD5 (Comprehensive Development Area).

Check out

Vernon’s cannabis fact sheet

Our Nov. 21 newsletter has a rundown of where all Okanagan communities are in the process.