Photo: Contributed
Whether you call it a threat or a promise depends on which side of the fence you are sitting on.
Several cannabis retailers asked if the goal posts were moved after Kelowna City Council narrowly approved two new downtown locations, contrary to staff recommendations and the council’s policy on proximity to other shops and parks.
“We want clear guidelines … and it seems that the guidelines have changed,” said Flora owner Matt Dober during the public hearing on Tuesday.
After the council voted 5-3 to approve the first motion in Hemp City on Bernard Avenue, Dober, who opposed that motion, voted in favor of the second motion at 266 Bernard near The Sails and hit suggested that the policy had actually changed, that he had to look for better locations in order to be able to compete better in the market.
“There has to be a certain consistency,” he added.
“You need to send a message, but I’m not sure what the rules are.”
After other retailers made similar comments, Coun. Gail Given asked planning staff if there were any other requests pending approval from the council, saying the council was “pretty much at risk of seeing a flood of them”.
At the moment, she was told that only the 21 who had been approved before Tuesday had come to the city.
“We haven’t changed our policy. Changing the text doesn’t change our policy,” said Given, who reluctantly threw her support behind both motions.
“That last proposal went through with one vote, it’s risky. To think that everything is going to fly around here in Kelowna is kind of insulting to me. “
“We should look at everything on a case-by-case basis and change the guidelines at each meeting,” added Mayor Basran, who also supported both of them.
He says altitude is a good example of some developers getting altitude deviations while others don’t.
“That doesn’t mean that if one gets it, everyone gets it. So I am saying very clearly that I believe that the two amendments made today have made sound arguments as to why the policy should be changed.
“But anyone who now thinks that today’s decisions will just let them walk in the door and get the same treatment … is a mistake.”
While the city put in place a policy on proximity to competition and parks more than two years ago, Basran said he didn’t think there had been any major concerns so far as the policy would evolve.
Basran and Given were accompanied by Coun. Hodge, Singh and Donn for supporting the proposal.
Count. Stack, Sieben, and DeHart, who voted against, pointed to the policy. Stacks with only 11 out of 21 stores open showing it’s too early to know if the policy is working.
However, the two sides believe it may be time to reconsider the policy and make changes if deemed necessary.
Given that the city is now saturated with the approval of five downtown licenses, it would like to see a moratorium on more downtown licenses.
