Town of Bonnyville council has passed first reading of amendments to the land use bylaw surrounding recreational cannabis.
Council has opted to move forward with the 150-metre separation distance between cannabis retail stores and schools, childcare facilities, recreation centres, provincial healthcare facilities, and public parks or playgrounds.
The bylaw also states that cannabis retail stores must be at least 150-metres away from each other, and can't be located in any residential district.
It will be listed as a discretionary use in commercial districts under the land use bylaw, meaning each application is subject to approval by the Municipal Planning Commission. Prior to approval, adjacent landowners within 150-metres of a proposed property will be notified of the application.
The first reading of the amended bylaw came during the May 22 council meeting, following a cannabis open house that was hosted by the town last week. Ten members of the public attended the event, which allowed residents to provide feedback on the various matters being discussed by council.
“We did a summary sheet of the responses with regards to setbacks, separation distances, and whether they should be limited for signage,” said Katherine Currie, director of planning and development.
Now that first reading of the bylaw is passed, a public hearing is set for Tuesday, June 12. Residents are able to provide feedback on the bylaw at that time before it moves into second reading.
See next week's Nouvelle or check back for the full story.
Cannabis retail application fees passed
Council has approved the permit application fees for cannabis-related development within town.
Under the amended fee schedule, anyone looking to set up shop for recreational marijuana sales will see a total application fee of $1,050.
That includes charges for the commercial development permit, change of use application, and signage, among others.
New road technology peaks council's interest
Representatives from Industrial Road Bond Services gave a delegation during Tuesday's council meeting to highlight how they can better repair town roads.
Using a specially formulated chemical, Rick Hansinger and Brad Bacon explained they're able to extract the water from the clay, which improves the ability to compact the base materials.
“The soil then becomes impermeable to water, so it becomes an all-season road. The road no longer absorbs moisture so the bearing strength is maintained,” said Hansinger.
With the treatment, he noted the town could expect to see a 70 per cent reduction in maintenance costs and a 250 per cent increase in bearing strength following compaction.
“I think the idea of adding that surfactant as a road stabilizer, this is what tweaked my interest,” said town CAO Mark Power. “You're adding a product so that we can use the existing material.”
Town staff will be working with the company to get a better idea of what the costs would be like to use the process on roads that are slated for paving.
See the full story in next week's Nouvelle or www.bonnyvillenouvelle.ca.
Golf Classic, Moose Lake Walleye Tournament receive support
Town council approved donations to two upcoming events in the area.
The Elk Point Lions Club had requested support for their annual Moose Lake Walleye Classic. Now in its seventh year, the tournament is held over June 22 to 23 at Vezeau Beach and on Moose Lake. There are 110 boats expected to participate.
“The Lions Club, I know they're based out of Elk Point, but it does a lot in the area. They're using Moose Lake to bring people into our area for two straight days; I don't know why we wouldn't make a donation,” said Coun. Chad Colbourne.
Council voted to donate $250 to the event.
They will also be sponsoring the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northern Alberta Charity Golf Classic to the tune of $500. The event will be held on June 16 at the Cold Lake Golf and Winter Club.
Town contributes to Walsh Field
After receiving a letter from the Bonnyville Amateur Football Association, council voted in favour of supporting the development of Walsh Field.
The town will be donating a little over $3,000 to be applied towards their building permit for the grandstand project.
“Someone in the community donated $1-million to get it started, and then another $1-million. That's significant for a community of this size,” said Coun. Ray Prevost. “They didn't come to ask for money when they were doing the field, it was all donated by the gentleman that won the lottery. I think $3,118 is the least we could do.”
Crews are already working to get the bleachers installed before the fall football season.
