Pubdate: Thu, 18 Jul 2013
Source: Chief, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2013 Whistler Printing & Publishing
Website: http://www.squamishchief.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2414
Author: Deena Zenyk

POT GROWERS NOT WELCOME

Editor,

 From the smell of things around downtown Squamish these days, it's
high time to consider changing our beautiful little town's moniker
from the Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada to the Commercial
Marijuana Growing Capital of Canada.

Spend any amount of time in the area of Stan Clarke Park, the library,
the brew pub or the Vancouver Street estuary entrance and you're
likely to be pummeled by the pungent aroma of pot venting endlessly
from nondescript buildings that are given away as grow shows only by
their newly and massively jacked-up power lines and vents, and
all-day/all-night comings and goings.

Sure, to some, it's the sweet smell of money and medicinal relief, but
to those who have made significant investments purchasing their homes
and settling their families in the area, it reaks of property values
going up in smoke, closed windows in the summer, and seems in
contradiction to the "family friendly" nature of a neighbourhood that
the District has invested so much time and energy into trying to transform.

Allowing large-scale commercial bud operators to set up shop in
business parks away from homes is one thing, but granting these
businesses license to run 24/7 within smelling distance of several
high-density housing developments and the heart of the downtown core
is (reefer) madness.

Does Squamish want to be known for its outdoor lifestyle and young
family/community vibe, or for being a bad stink in the Sea to Sky
Corridor? It's time to revisit the flimsy DOS zoning bylaws that
govern these growers and consult the community before approving any
further grow ops in town.

Deena Zenyk

Squamish
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MAP posted-by: Matt