Nelson City Council gave first and second reading to the zoning bylaw changes around recreational cannabis last week. It includes a cap of five stores with only two in the downtown. There can also be one each in Railtown, along Nelson Avenue and the Lakeside Drive Industrial Area. The zoning changes will go to a public hearing. The date hasn’t been set yet, but will likely be sometime in July.
As the City will likely receive more than five business license applications, a matrix system will be used to rank them. A lottery system will only be used if there are a number of high ranking applicants. Kozak adds final approval does come from the Province.