Pot shops proposed for malls
Government-owned cannabis stores proposed for Dilworth, Capri Centre malls
Two more government-owned pot shops are expected to open in Kamloops by late spring.
Meanwhile, the City of Kelowna has received two applications for government-owned cannabis stores. One is proposed for the Dilworth Shopping Centre and the other is proposed for the Capri Centre Mall.
The two government-owned stores are among the current list of 31 proposed pot shop locations in Kelowna. The government stores will not get any special consideration over the ones from private business interests.
“Each application will get evaluated the same way,” community planning manager Ryan Smith said Tuesday.
None of the 31 proposals has yet been evaluated in depth by city officials. Each application will be given a score on a council-approved matrix that considers factors such as proximity to parks and schools, store design, business plan and security provisions.
Those applications getting the highest scores will be advanced to council in early 2019 for the necessary rezoning. If council grants first reading, each proposal will be sent to a public hearing, at which interested members of the community can express their views.
British Columbia’s first pot shop opened in Kamloops on Oct. 17, the day marijuana was legalized across Canada. Two more stores, also operated by the Liquor Distribution Branch, now have been approved by that city though the locations have not been publicized.
The Liquor Distribution Branch, which operates the store, praises the City of Kamloops for its “quick work to develop zoning for the retail of non-medical cannabis upon legalization.”