Delta council on Monday gave preliminary approval for a proposed cannabis dispensary in Ladner while also sending the application to a public hearing.
The rezoning application by Imagine Cannabis Co., which would also require provincial approval, would see a non-medical cannabis shop in a vacant retail space at the Ladner Centre Mall at 5150 Ladner Trunk Road.
The operation would include a 608-square-foot retail storefront and 285-square-feet for office and storage. It is proposed to be open seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
The owner is also proposing to undertake some site improvements to comply with recommendations from Delta Police.
A Delta staff report notes that when the application was originally submitted, the city received 54 responses to a request for feedback. Some were in support, while others expressed concerns including the proposed store’s operating hours and close proximity to the Dairy Queen restaurant at the shopping centre.
Forty people voiced opposition with the majority of those concerned about youth as well as cannabis use being normalized.
In response to community feedback, Imagine Cannabis Co. worked with the owner of the shopping centre to secure another unit further away from the Dairy Queen.
The new unit, formerly occupied by Booster Juice, became available and Imagine Cannabis Co. subsequently amended their application for that space.
A public notification letter for the amended application was sent to more than 3,100 recipients earlier this year and, to date, the city has received 34 responses.
The majority of those responses were in opposition, most repeat respondents reiterating their opposition.
The report also notes staff reviewed the location and compared it to the location criteria of other local governments.
The proposed location generally meets or exceeds the average requirements of other local governments with respect to proximity to schools, the report notes, adding staff circulated the application to the Delta School District who responded that the location was a “fairly large distance” from the nearest school.
Council on Monday also approved sending two other cannabis dispensary applications, one on River Road and another on Scott Road, to a public hearing.
While a date hasn’t been announced for the public hearing, the next hearing date on Delta’s calendar is scheduled for May 31.
Council also recently held a public hearing for two other cannabis dispensaries in Tsawwassen and both of those applications received third reading, but still require provincial approval before coming back to council for final approval.
In total, Delta would have nine cannabis dispensaries if all the current applications are successful and combined with those already approved.
The city currently has a moratorium on accepting any new applications.
