Maple Ridge bylaw would limit grow-ops to farm zones

Maple Ridge wants to nip a problem in the bud by regulating where medical marijuana can be grown.

A newly-drafted bylaw proposes commercial medical-marijuana production be permitted only in agricultural zones, in an effort to stop pot growth in residential areas.

The bylaw tries to address issues that can come with residential grow-operations such as electrical fires, waste, environmental concerns and the drug’s diversion into the illegal market.

Commercial-marijuana facilities would face the same building restrictions as other pungent industries such as pig farms or mushroom barns, with requirements to be at least 30 metres from rear-lot lines and 60 metres from front-lot lines.

Grow operations also would need to be at least 200 metres from any elementary or secondary school, because of chronic odour complaints.

District planner Diana Hall said it’s believed that Maple Ridge is the first district in B.C. to draft a bylaw of this nature.

“The sense is that there have been a fair number of problems associated with this use in other areas, even industrial, because you’ve got a multi-tenanted structure. It can cause problems,” said Hall, who drafted the bylaw.

The draft bylaw presented to council members this week said the changes would be timely because “recent history has revealed the potential adverse health and safety, social, environmental and law-enforcement implications of marijuana production in the community.”

The bylaw has yet to be voted on by council, but Hall is confident it will pass and make it to the public-hearing stage.