Aurora council considers sites for medical marijuana production facility

Yorkregion.com
April 16, 2015
By Teresa Latchford

Aurora is working to find appropriate locations to allow a medical marijuana production facility.

At a recent public planning meeting, Aurora’s planning and development services director Marco Ramunno tabled a report recommending council direct town staff to implement a zoning bylaw amendment pertaining to such a facility to be reviewed and discussed at an upcoming general committee meeting.

“We are looking at two sites along the (Hwy.) 404 corridor,” Ramunno said. “If approved, these would be 150 metres from any residential or school sites.”

In 2001, individuals authorized to use marijuana by a physician were allowed to grow medical marijuana in their homes or purchase it from Health Canada, as stated in the federal government’s Marijuana Medical Access Program and Marijuana Medical Access Regulations.

Following concerns surrounding public health, safety and security expressed by police, fire officials and municipalities and enormous growth of participants in the program, the regulations were revised. Now known as the Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations, which became effective in April 2014, licences to produce, process, sell and ship the plant are only given to commercial producers.

Last spring, a producer approached the town asking if marijuana production facilities were permitted on a property zoned for industrial uses on employment lands. Council prohibited the use of employment lands and staff was directed to complete a study to find an appropriate location for such a facility.

“We will be holding additional public information centres regarding the findings of the study, likely in May or June,” Ramunno added.

Aurora isn’t the only municipality in York Region dealing with this challenge since the new regulations were implemented. Some municipalities have already passed bylaws to restrict the facilities to certain types of locations and require setbacks to residential zones.

Some of these stipulations by other municipalities include allowing facilities only on industrial lands, not permitting them on lots abutting a main road and requiring facilities have a minimum distance of 70 metres from any sensitive land use such as public schools, community centres, parks and residential units.

Other rules set out include the facility requiring all operations be completed inside, without the use of outdoor storage and containing loading spaces within the enclosed building.