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Foothills approves micro cannabis facility

A cannabis production facility is planned for the back of the Edwards Concrete property off 17 St. SE adjacent HWY 2A.
NEWS-Cannabis Farm BWC 7002 web
A cannabis production facility is planned for the back of the Edwards Concrete property off 17 St. SE adjacent HWY 2A.

Foothills could soon see its first micro cannabis operation north of Okotoks.

County council approved a site-specific amendment on April 14 to a Business Park District parcel owned by G. Edwards Holdings Ltd., at the same location as Edwards Concrete, on the east side of Highway 2A just south of 306 Ave. and Okotoks Agricultural Society grounds. The amendment permits a micro cannabis production facility on the land.

“This is just a small business that’s another way of diversifying and adapting to our present economic environment,” said owner Gary Edwards. “This is not a store, no one will ever even know it’s there.”

He said the building itself, a 5,120 square-foot facility less than 12 metres in height, would not be visible from Highway 2A due to current landscaping and foliage acting as natural screening, as well as the current businesses front-facing on 17 St. SE (parallel to the highway), The Stash and Edwards Concrete.

A maximum of 2,000 square feet of the facility would be used for growing cannabis, with the balance of the space dedicated to drying and curing, as well as materials storage. It is estimated about 50 pounds of cannabis would be produced monthly and distributed by a third-party, licensed shipping company.

There will be three employees at the facility, he said.

“This is a very, very small operation,” said Edwards.

Traffic will not be increased with limited staff and only one trip to the site for pick-up by the distribution company, he said.

As far as noise and odour, he said an automated air-handling system will be installed that will mitigate concerns about smell with minimum noise.

“This isn’t smoking and burning the stuff, this is just growing in an enclosed, very regulated, climate-controlled building,” said Edwards.

The entire operation is government-regulated, including trimmings and waste, which are to be grinded with a stump grinder and kept in a bin on-site for pick up as necessary, he said.

“It’s actually not even allowed to be left outside,” said Edwards. “It’s part of the indoor building.”

The entire site would be fenced and secure, said agent Kristi Beunder of Township Planning + Design Inc.

“The site already has appropriate fencing and gates to control access,” said Beunder.

She said the proposed building would be in a location approved by Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC), which mandates cannabis operations not be within 100 metres of a provincial healthcare facility, a school, or land designated as municipal reserve (MR).

“We are not touching any MR parcels, no health-care facilities, or any schools with this separation distanced required by the act,” said Beunder, adding the business also would not interfere with the amenities of the neighbourhood or have an adverse effect on nearby properties, which are concerns of the Municipal Government Act when considering developments.

She asked council to consider adding micro cannabis operations as a permitted use for all Business Park District parcels going forward rather than a site-specific amendment, but council opted to keep it a site-specific amendment.

“I think that’s a little preliminary, just due to the lack of applications we have and experience we have with micro cannabis operations at this point,” said Coun. R,Dd McHugh. “I would prefer it remain discretionary.”

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