The provincial government's quest to open a retail cannabis store at the Westgate Shopping Centre will be the subject of a public hearing during this Monday's city council meeting.
The provincially-run B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch has submitted an application to rezone a spot at 120-6565 Southridge Avenue, where a Royal Bank of Canada branch used to be, for a B.C. Cannabis Store.
In a letter to the city, Michael Tan, BCLDB executive director of cannabis operations , said it is seeking the spot because it's in a "large retail complex and therefore consistent with the nature of the immediate area," is easily accessible to customers and not expected to adversely impact traffic in the surrounding area.
The store's size would be about 2,000 square feet, "which is in the midrange of other retail stores existing on the subject site and in the surrounding area," Tan said.
BCLDB has received support from Westgate's owner, First Prince George Developments Inc., to proceed with the application, Tan also said.
The hearing is set for 7 p.m. in council chambers at city hall.
Also on the agenda:
A public hearing will also be held for a proposal to exempt trading and collectible cards from a requirement under the city's second-hand dealers and pawnbrokers bylaw that they be held for 30 days before they can be put up for sale.
Kelsy Polnik of Game Quest has been pushing for the exemption, similar to one made in 2014 for video games.
But Prince George RCMP is opposed to the idea saying the cards can be valuable, making them a target for thieves looking for some quick cash. And if they come with paperwork authenticating them, police say tracing them back to their owners is possible with the help of the 30-day holding period.
Staff has advised council to take the RCMP position into account but, for the time being at least, pass the amendment through first and second reading so it can be taken to a public hearing.
- Prince George RCMP Supt. Warren Brown will provide a look back at how 2018 went for the detachment.
- Reports on the conditions of civic facilities and on the city's Memorial Park Cemetery green burial project will be presented to council.
