A new medical cannabis facility is being proposed for an industrial area in east Richmond.
With its application to Health Canada pending, Rosewood Productions’ application to Richmond city council to rezone for the production of medical marijuana passed first reading with Coun. Chak Au voting against it.
Au pointed out council’s policy is to have only one medical cannabis facility in the city. An application for a medical marijuana facility at 5960 No. 6 Rd. has already received third reading from council. The city’s policy in the Official Community Plan allows council to approve more on a case-by-case basis.
“We’re opening a door – how can we stop a third and fourth one and it goes on and on? That can really cancel our policy,” he said.
The proposed facility that council was considering on Monday evening is located at 23000 Fraserwood Way, and the number of plants, according to the application, would be between 900 and 1,200 – the total would be regulated by Health Canada.
Coun. Harold Steves said he was pleased the application for this facility was in an industrial area and not in any agricultural area.
“When they go on industrial lands, they’re a lot smaller,” Steves said. “The ones they’re trying to get on the farmland are huge greenhouse operations and Metro Vancouver is very seriously looking at whether they should all be banned, period, because of the odour.”
Coun. Carol Day said she wanted reassurances there would be no odour emanating from the production facility. She suggested council tour similar facilities in B.C. to see what the smell is like.
Day also pointed out there are people living in the area, for example, on the Fraser River in boats, so she suggested expanding the normal notification area of 50 metres. Council voted to expand the area to include the entire Fraserwood area south of Highway 91 to the river.
In September 2016, council gave third reading to a medical cannabis facility at 5960 No. 6 Rd. According to city staff, the applicant is still working through the licensing process with Health Canada, which must be completed before the city will give final approval to the rezoning.
The Fraserwood Way application will next go to public hearing.
