Another application has come before City of Powell River for a cannabis retail store.
At the Tuesday, January 14, committee of the whole meeting, city senior planner Daniella Fergusson said this application would be for the second private retail store in Powell River. The community also has a BC Cannabis Store, operated by the provincial government, that recently opened.
The applicant for this second private store is Bogart Cannabis Investments Ltd. Fergusson identified the applicant as Kelly Rankin.
Fergusson said the store is proposed to be in unit seven at 7030 Alberni Street. She said staff has done a zoning check to see if the property would allow a cannabis store. The unit is located more than 150 metres away from any other cannabis retail stores, schools, playgrounds and Powell River Recreation Complex.
Ferguson said the BC Cannabis Store is 152 metres away from the location of the proposed new retail store.
Fergusson outlined that when the city receives applications at this stage, applicants have already gone through the province’s fit and proper check, which means they have gone through security screening and a financial integrity check, saying this person is eligible to run a cannabis retail store. Fergusson said Rankin is also local to Powell River and is partnered with Meta West Coast Ltd., which is a division of Meta Growth, a Canada-wide organization that operates 34 cannabis retail stores.
She added that cannabis products come packaged through the provincial distribution chain, to control the supply and also to reduce odours.
Fergusson said, in summary, city staff supports this application. She said it meets zoning requirements and the applicant has demonstrated they are invested in Powell River and are partnered with a company with experience in the business.
In a report to the committee, Fergusson stated that the city has not received any concerns about this application.
The committee voted to give notice of public hearing on council’s intention to consider the cannabis retail store for the property on Alberni Street.
