The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary hosted a public hearing this week regarding some regulations for non-medical cannabis in Area A. Only one person attended Tuesday night’s hearing in Trail with a few questions and didn’t state whether they were for or against the proposals. Senior Planner Ken Gobeil explains that there are some implications for those looking to grow cannabis on the ALR [Agriculture Land Reserve]. He says it can be grown in green houses and buildings with dirt floors, but not cement-based industrial bunker-style production facilities.
“It takes the land out of agricultural production and so if you were ever to try to re-use the property for another purpose that square footage of area is no longer capable for agricultural production.”
There were some criteria suggested as well for non-medical cannabis retail sales applications. Gobeil says there’s not a lot of commercial land in Area A, but the Bylaws will provide the opportunity if somebody wants to pursue a retail business.
“If somebody did want to establish a retail store they would apply for a zoning amendment and we would review it based on distance to educational, childcare, or community and institutional uses, the surrounding land uses and impacts on the neighbouring property owners, the size of the retail space and the distance to other cannabis retail stores.”
The RDKB Board will consider approving the changes at the November 29 meeting.
From the RDKB’s website: Electoral Area ‘A’ includes the rural areas bordered on the west by the Columbia River, on the south by the Canada / U.S. Border, on the north by Champion Lakes Provincial Park and stretches east of the Village of Fruitvale.
Electoral Area ‘A’ does not include the properties within the villages of Montrose and Fruitvale, nor the City of Trail.
According to 2011 Census Canada figures, the population is 1,845.