A review of proposals for new recreational cannabis shops in Port Coquitlam is now underway.
Last Wednesday, the city closed its one-month deadline for entrepreneurs and companies wanting to set up pot shops in the municipality.
The addresses that PoCo staff are now looking at are:
• 1502 Broadway St.
• 1760 Kingsway Ave.
• 2748 Lougheed Hwy.
• 2755 Lougheed Hwy.
• 2338 Marpole Ave.
• 2342 Elgin Ave.
• 2617 Kingsway Ave.
• 2850 Shaughnessy St.
• 815 Village Dr.
• 2020 Oxford Conn.
• 1971 Lougheed Hwy.
• 2649 Lougheed Hwy.
• 970 Dominion Ave.
• 1940 Oxford Conn.
• 815 Village Dr.
• 2541 Shaughnessy St.
• 2648 Kingsway Ave.
• 815 Village Dr.
Laura Lee Richard, PoCo’s director of development services, told The Tri-City News that each application will be assessed “based on the objectives and guidelines of the Cannabis Establishment Policy” that city council adopted last month.
And once that’s done, city staff will bring the bids before committee-of-council for rezoning study. If approved, council will hold a public hearing for each proposal.
The Cannabis Establishment Policy — the first of its kind in the Tri-Cities — is similar to Port Coquitlam’s regulation for liquor stores: Cannabis outlets must be at least one-kilometre apart and be a minimum of 250 metres from a school, playground, community centre or sports field.
Other factors such as neighbourhood consultation and storefront appearance will also be evaluated.
The federal government legalized recreational marijuana use on Oct. 17, 2018.
