Any residents of Brookswood-Fernridge who were hoping to have a local cannabis store will have to wait a little longer for Langley Township council to make up its mind.
An application by a store to open at the intersection of 200th Street and 24th Avenue has been put on hold until after neighbourhood plans for Brookswood are approved.
Council voted 5-4 to defer a decision at a June 12 council meeting. Council will again consider the application after the neighbourhood plans are completed.
The proposed store, to be called 4Twenty Cannabis, would have been operated by a company that already owns two stores in Vancouver, and starting opening hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The owner also has owned pharmacies, including one in Langley City.
A staff report noted the cannabis store was in line with both the neighbourhood plans and the Township’s retail cannabis policy.
Few councillors raised concerns about the location of the store itself, with several noting it wasn’t near any schools or parks.
However, council has been deep in the process of approving neighbourhood plans for Fernridge, Rinn, and Booth in South Brookswood.
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“I feel the timing of this application is a little problematic,” said Councillor Barb Martens, referencing the ongoing planning.
Those neighbourhood plans will shape development and growth in the areas for decades, and have undergone substantial changes from previous versions.
Other councillors noted that the plans and the future development will bring more schools, housing, and parks to the area.
“It’s not so much we’re dealing [with] today, it’s we’re dealing for the future,” said Coun. Steve Ferguson.
“I’d be in favour of pressing pause as well,” said Coun. Kim Richter.
Other councillors wanted to press on, since every version of the neighbourhood plans has envisioned a commercial centre at 200th Street and 24th Avenue.
“This couldn’t be a better location in my eyes,” said Coun. Misty van Popta.
Coun. Margaret Kunst noted that even once the plans are approved, development is still years away for the area.
“I kind of feel we’re either in favour of cannabis retail or we’re not,” she said.
Martens asked how long it would be until the neighbourhood plans are back before council for approval, and Township administrator Mark Bakken said council could vote on the project as soon as this summer, and after the August council break if there are complex amendments.
“This isn’t going into the ether forever and ever, there is a very finite amount of time here,” Martens noted.
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