The BC Government has been given initial approval for one of its signature marijuana stores to be built in West Kelowna.
Council reversed an earlier decision and passed the application by a vote of 4-3. A total of six retail cannabis applications are now in progress for the west side.
But there are concerns.
Mayor Gord Milsom says, "Under the current non medical cannabis retail store re-zoning policy, there's evaluation guidelines including separation from sensitive uses of properties and one of them would be the distance between an elementary school and the entrance to a non medial cannabis retail outlet."
Mayor Milsom acknowledges that the distance between the proposed BC Government store and a nearby elementary school is well within the 500 meter guideline.
If the application clears all hurdles, the goverment store would open in the Westbank Towne Center Mall near an existing government liquor store.
West Kelowna council has had no official contact with the Central Okanagan School Board on the issue but if it does, Mayor Milsom says council will consider any worries as part of the re-zoning process.