Neighbours Concerned About Property Values If Land Rezoned For Cannabis Operation
Residents who live near a proposed small-scale cannabis operation on Route 112 in Upper Coverdale have a lot of concerns.
Gina Brown and her partner own Anchor Cannabis and want to build a 2,100 square foot facility for indoor cultivation.
A portion of their property must be rezoned before the project can go ahead and the proponents need approval from the Southeast Regional Service Commission.
John Martel lives near the proposed facility and says he and his neighbours are mainly concerned about the land being rezoned from agricultural to commercial-industrial.
Martel fears property values will drop and notes how many older residents will be selling their properties in the future to fund their retirement.
“Really it’s not the issue with the product. It’s the issue with the zoning. She could decide to open a rare Polynesian orchids hydroponics industry and if it was required to be rezoned, we’d still have an issue with the fact it is being rezoned.”
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Martel believes the rezoning could set a precedent paving the way for other industrial businesses to set up nearby in the future.
A recent public hearing became heated and Martel says it’s mainly because residents were caught off guard when the commission said it would give preliminary approval to the rezoning.
“She (Gina Brown) kept saying she understood our concerns but at the same time she wasn’t going to stop from going forward with the rezoning. She understood that we’re going to lose property value but that didn’t stop her from going forward. So actions tend to speak louder than words.”
Martel says some residents in the area have already lost property value after Petitcodiac Lake became a river again when the causeway gates reopened.
The Southeast Regional Service Commission planning and review committee will meet again on January 22.
A recommendation will be made and forwarded to Environment and Local Government Minister Jeff Carr who will ultimately make the decision.
Allan Dearing is a reporter with 91.9 The Bend, a Huddle content partner.