Vernon says no to a downtown cannabis retail operation

VERNON – Vernon city council has said no for the first time to a pot shop opening downtown.

The application made by The Vernon Cannabis Store to open a non-medical cannabis retail store at 2813A 35 Street is the first of a dozen applications to be rejected.

Although city staff recommended council approve the application, Vernon Mayor Victor Cumming, Coun. Kari Gares and Coun. Scott Anderson voted against the pot shop, quashing the application.

Mayor Cumming told iNFOnews.ca he voted against cannabis store because of the location.

"It's the wrong location for that particular neighbourhood," Cumming said.

Gares agreed with the mayor's position.

"It's within a residential neighbour, and primarily the residents are seniors… and there's also a residential unit in the building," Gares said. "It's just not the best location."

While the application for the cannabis business fit all the City's zoning bylaws and regulations, City staff told could the application had received the most correspondence of all the applications received. The city report says it received eight negative responses and a 43 signature petition against the 35 Street store from the Vernon Pensioners Accommodation Society, as well as one letter of no objection and three positive responses.

Coun. Anderson said he voted against the store because of the "mobilization of public opinion against it." He also cited concerns over the number of potential pot shops within the downtown Business Improvement Area. Council previously voted to restrict the number of pot shops in the that area to six.

Another application on the table for Black Crow Herbal Solutions slated for 2808A 48 Ave. was approved unanimously.

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