Since Dec. 6 I have been to three meetings about the industrial grow-op proposed for Schafer Road which is halfway between Lumby and Cherryville. It is one to two kilometres long with seven to eight homes on rural residential properties.
The structure is proposed to be on ALR land and over 100,000 sq. ft. with a 30-car parking lot. They want it on a concrete pad which is not allowed on ALR land. I live five miles further down the highway on a two-kilometre long sideroad with seven homes and I know I don’t want anything like this for a neighbour.
Every owner of rural property in the North Okanagan should be watching this closely because this is a gold rush and if this one goes through, there will be more.
Mr. Fernandes, one of the owners of Green Amber, was at the regional district meeting on Dec. 12 to plead his case and said when he initially came to Lumby he was shown the industrial park where there is room and already has one industrial grow-op. He stated he would create 30 jobs — would there be any fewer jobs if he was in the industrial park? If locals grow hemp he said he would market for them for the production of CBD — I’m sure they can also do that from the industrial park.
We already have some small, licenced sites (under the 183 sq meter – 2000 sq ft) and most don’t seem to be bothering anybody. We are being incredibly cautious about where cannabis products can be retailed, so why aren’t we trying for minimal impact from the industrial grow ops/production facilities?
Laurie Rowan