An application by Stellava Ventures Inc. to operate a Purp City cannabis and CBD shop in Port Moody may be down to its last puff.
A staff report being presented to council at its virtual meeting Tuesday recommends Stellava’s bid for a shop at 2506 St. Johns St. be rejected because it’s 61 metres from the Port Moody Arts Centre. The city has prescribed a 75-metre buffer zone around sensitive uses like community centres and playgrounds.
Last December, the company’s application was one of two put aside for further consideration during a second wave of applications.
Since then, the company has been active on social media and last month it offered to give away 40 litres of hand sanitizer to people trying to reduce their risk of catching COVID-19. But the promotion was abruptly called off on the recommendation of public health officials and Port Moody police. Stellava said it subsequently donated the hand sanitizer to various community organizations.
Another bid that was also set aside by council previously, by Westcanna — now known as Cannoe — for a shop at 3034 St. Johns is now being endorsed by staff for acceptance, along with a new application for The Astrology Bud Store at 3224 St. Johns.
In its proposal, Cannoe will operate at two-storey shop with retail operations located on the ground level and administrative offices for all its stores, including two planned for Vancouver, and another in New Westminster, on the second floor. The store will employ 21 people, four of them full-time.
As well, the company has pledged to donate $10,000 to the Eagle Ridge Hospital Foundation if its licence is approved.
The Astrology Bud Store, operated by the Berezan Hospitality Group of Langley, would be located at the company’s former Brew Street Craft Kitchen. While the pub has been closed for more than a year, the adjoining liquor store continues to operate.
Three other new applications, by City Cannabis Co., Happy Hippie Cannabis and The Herb Co., have not yet received their fit and proper assessments from the provincial Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch and staff is recommending they be rejected.
If council elects to give first and second readings Tuesday to bylaw amendments required for any of the proposals to move forward, they’ll go to a public hearing before third reading and adoption.
Successful bids by Cannoe and Berezan would bring the total number of cannabis shops licensed to operate in Port Moody to four. Shops operated by Kiaro, at 2816 St. Johns, and burb at Suter Brook Village got their city approvals last December, the first of five council said it was considering to approve in the first year since cannabis sales became legalized by the federal government.
Kiaro opened its shop on March 20.
