Eleven applications for retail marijuana stores were submitted to the City of Red Deer on Tuesday morning.
By the time city hall opened at 8 a.m., 10 people were already in line. A couple of applicants from Ontario and Quebec had been saving spots in front of the building since last Thursday and Friday.
City officials had been prepared for a possible rush, stationing an additional security guard at the doors. There could have been up to 35 applicants since that many potential locations for marijuana outlets were identified, based on rules they must be 300 metres apart and located along either arterial routes or in the downtown. The sales outlets must also be 300 metres from schools and playgrounds.
But only 11 applicants showed up by mid-day Tuesday. Submissions were made in an orderly manner and the initial process was pretty much wrapped up in 20 minutes. “It went really well,” concluded the City of Red Deer inspections and licensing manager Erin Stewart, who added the prospective cannabis retailers were prepared with all the paperwork the city was expecting.
This included authorization from the proposed property manager, a floor plan of the outlet, and proof that an application was submitted to the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission.
Stewart said if a submission requires a variance, it must next go before the Municipal Planning Commission before the development permit is granted. If no variance is required, applicants must wait for city council to finalize a business licence application, which is expected in August. They can then apply for a license.
Some of the proposed sites will start to be advertised by the city next month for public feedback. Stewart said more applications will be considered if additional submissions come in.
Legal marijuana sales start on Oct. 17 — and that’s when Sam Katzman of Windsor, Ont. hopes to open his proposed Red Deer store, Green Town, at 5111-49th St.
The McGill University business graduate, who’s worked in the hospitality industry and was waiting in front of Red Deer City Hall since Friday, intends to move to the city after researching communities in B.C., Alberta and Manitoba — the only provinces allowing private-sector cannabis sales.
Since his was the second application submitted on a first-come basis, Katzman said his location will get precedence over another that might try crowding his site — so waiting outside for four days was worth it.
lmichelin@reddeeradvocate.com
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