Pubdate: Fri, 06 Mar 2015 Source: Metro (Vancouver, CN BC) Copyright: 2015 Metro Canada Contact: http://www.metronews.ca/vancouver Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3775 Author: Thandi Fletcher Page: 4 JUST SAYING NO TO POT ... FACILITY Maple Ridge. Locals Worried About Size, Possible Smell From Proposed Medical Marijuana Greenhouse Residents of Maple Ridge are fuming over plans for a massive medical-marijuana facility in their neighbourhood. Sylvie Jensen, who lives near the property where the 40,000-square-foot greenhouse will go up, said she and her neighbours are worried about the size and possible smell from the proposed facility. "It just doesn't belong in this community," she told Metro. "It's in the middle of a residential neighbourhood. We have a Montessori school across the street, we have two churches and we have many residential homes." The greenhouse, being built at 272nd Street and Bell Avenue in Whonnock, will be home to Vancouver-based company Tantalus Labs. Dan Sutton, the company's managing director, said Health Canada hasn't yet issued a licence to grow medical marijuana in the facility but the company plans on building the greenhouse regardless of what will grow inside. But residents, including Jensen, said a large-scale greenhouse "just doesn't fit" in the neighbourhood. She said neighbours are also worried about possible odours, light pollution and water management, as Whonnock is located on a "vulnerable aquifer." But Sutton said the greenhouse is designed with technology to minimize light pollution and filter odours and will operate on a separate water system from the city. Understanding the community's concerns, however, Tantalus Labs is hosting a public forum to give residents an opportunity to give their input. The event is taking place March 23 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Whonnock Community Centre. Mayor Nicole Read said she is pleased with the company's willingness to hear residents' concerns. Still, she said the city is seeking greater transparency from Health Canada about the facility as well as 12 other medicalmarijuana applications for Maple Ridge. She said the greenhouse is being built on Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) designated property, where medical-marijuana facilities are a permitted use. Due to privacy legislation, however, the city can't release details about the facilities, such as location, which results in facilities springing up on ALR property in residential neighbourhoods, Read said. "Right now, there's a lot of concern," she said. "What we need to do as a local government is alleviate some of that concern by getting as much information as we can." - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom