Possible pot shop locations identified
The 1600 block of Pandosy Street is something of ground zero in the soaring hopes associated with Kelowna’s newly-legalized marijuana business.
Three cannabis stores are proposed for buildings in this downtown block, as identified on a list of 31 possible pot shop locations now released by the City of Kelowna.
The roster is a long and diverse one, covering many areas of Kelowna, but mainly focused downtown, in strip malls, and industrial parks. There’s one proposed for the Capri Mall but none, at least so far, for Orchard Park mall.
The city’s evaluation and approval process promises to be complicated and time-consuming, with none of the cannabis stores that eventually win approval expected to open until well into 2019.
Buildings proposed for pot shops currently or recently included a diverse array of businesses, including a private college, restaurants, coffee shops, dry cleaners, eyewear stores, pharmacies, and professional offices. The potential of cannabis stores to change the change the retailing streetscape of Kelowna appears considerable as many entrepreneurs are eager to capitalize on the perceived profits associated with the sale of the newly-legalized drug.
Unlike most business applications, landlords and tenants of neighbouring properties, as well as interested members of the public, will be able to comment on each pot shop proposal as they come forward at Kelowna city council meetings next year.
That’s because a rezoning application is required for each cannabis store under pot shop regulations approved recently by the city. There are also rules regarding minimum separation from major city parks, schools, and distance from other pot shops.
However, it’s possible council could grant a variance if they find a particular application particularly compelling.
Before applications get to council, they will be reviewed by a city-struck committee and assigned an overall score. That score is based on such things as compliance with the pre-set regulations, security provisions, store design, and business plan. The applications given the highest score will be brought, in order, to council for review and possible approval.
Of the applications received so far by the city, just over one-third are for downtown locations. The highest concentration of proposed pot shops is in the 1600 block of Pandosy Street, near the cross streets of Leon Avenue and Lawrence Avenue.
One of the addresses is 1629-1649 Pandosy Street, in a building that has housed the Vancouver Career College. Operators of the college have said they want to move because of what they describe as ongoing and serious street disorder related to the presence of a nearby homeless shelter that has imperilled the success of their business.
“We have experienced a much higher volume of people in the neighbourhood leading to various unpleasant activities in and around our campus, leading to serious safety issues,” college vice-president Edward Jonathon told Global Okanagan in the summer.
The other pot shops proposed for the block are at 1619 Pandosy St., and 1636-1652 Pandosy St. Here is the full list of the proposed cannabis store locations so far released by the City of Kelowna: 2121 Springfield Rd.
2189 Springfield Rd.
1100 Lawrence Ave.
2065 Rutland Ct.
1977 Kirschner Rd.
1310 St. Paul St.
889 Vaughan Ave.
140-160 Rutland Rd. S 1636-1652 Pandosy St.
1835 Gordon Dr.
170 Highway 33 W.
3818 Gordon Dr. 1583-1593 Ellis St. 1936-1940 Kane Rd. 284-290 Highway 33 W.
2009 Enterprise Way 2339-2397 Highway 97 North 2250 Leckie Rd. 1315-1339 St. Paul St. 1629-1649 Pandosy St.
1619 Pandosy St.
120 Dougall Rd. N
2090 Harvey Ave 1911-1927 Dayton St. 1455-1475 Harvey Ave.
521 Bernard Ave. 1675-1677 Commerce Ave. 523-527 Bernard Ave.
401 Glenmore Rd.
1886 Ambrosi Rd.
547-559 Bernard Ave.