Williams Lake City Council is ready to talk pot with the public on their proposed cannabis zoning bylaw.
City Planner Hasib Nadvi says that the goal of an open on house Monday, May 28 is to hear from the public before Council receives the proposed bylaw for a second reading.
“At 5 pm members of the public can walk into the Council Chambers of City Hall and there will be displays of maps, copies of the proposed zoning bylaw,” he explains.
“After then at 6 pm we’re holding a special council meeting and we’ll be receiving input from the public as well. You’ll see presentations from the planning department and from the RCMP.”
Williams Lake City Council gave 1st reading on March 20, 2018, to the cannabis zoning bylaw which would enable storefront retail cannabis to be located in certain zones and allow cannabis production and distribution facilities in conjunction with existing heavy industrial uses in a newly created North End ‘Cannabis and Heavy Industrial Zone’.
“Around cannabis retail, the bylaw proposes minimum setbacks from schools, licensed daycares, and the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Centre. It also proposes setbacks between one cannabis retail location to another location,” says Nadvi.
“For the industrial part, we’re looking into production and distribution. As you know we’re welcoming that and are looking at the north end industrial zone for the production and distribution facilities. There’s also some minimum setbacks that we’re proposing from residential areas so that’s why we’re pushing into the north end industrial zone.”
The proposed cannabis zoning bylaw will be up for second reading on June 12.