A California-based medical marijuana production company that wants to open a huge facility in Okanagan Falls has officially applied for an industrial development permit to the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS).

Shuttleworth Properties Ltd. on behalf of Sunniva Medical Inc. has applied to develop a large medical marijuana production facility and administrative building on 17 acres of property on the old Weyerhauser lumber mill site on Maple Street in Okanagan Falls.

Photo Credit: NowMediaCalfornia-based Sunniva Inc. will be asking the RDOS board to approve a building permit to construct a huge medical marijuana production facility in Okanagan Falls at the old Weyerhauser mill site.

“This project represents a significant redevelopment of the industrial lands in Okanagan Falls and has been designed to provide functional and clean architecture,” said a report by RDOS board chair Bill Newell that will be presented to the board at next Thursday’s meeting.

“The development of Sunniva’s building design brings a clean industry to the location providing new jobs and increasing agriculture in Okanagan Falls. This project is designed to minimize the impacts from lighting, odours and noise related to the operation of the facility.”

Unlike many many medical marijuana producton facilities, this project has been developed as a purpose-built greenhouse and production building, says Newell's report.

“Through the utilization of natural light, this project can reduce the carbon footprint of production substantially,” said Newell. “This project integrates a concrete floor into the greenhouse area minimizing potential contamination of the growing area and preventing infiltration of any fertilizer into the local environment.

“These areas of the building contain the production operations for the facility including work areas for processing the cannabis plants and packaging of product for shipping. The header houses also contain areas for the irrigation system, fully automated table system and storage. Natural light is provided into the north side of the facility through glazed wall sections which break up the length of the wall visually. Ventilation of the header house area will be exhausted utilizing filter systems to reduce odour.”

The third component, the central section contains shipping and administration.

Photo Credit: Facebook Sunniva Inc.Sunniva Inc, a medical marijuana production company, wants to build a massive greenhouse production facility in Okanagan Falls. They have formally applied to the RDOS board for a building permit and this issue will be discussed at next week's RDOS board meeting.

The main entrance to the building bisects the front façade providing a visual focus to guide visitors into the reception area.

The applicant also states that there will be an estimate of 240 full-time skilled to semi-skilled jobs to work in the greenhouses and administrative building.

The subject property is approximately 51 hectares in area and is situated on the east side of Maple Street, approximately 466 metres east of Highway 97.

The subject property housed the old Weyerhauser mill that closed in 2007. Neighbouring properties include industrial and agricultural properties to the south, a mix of residential and industrial lands to the west, with agricultural and residential to the north

Shuttleworth creek runs along the northern boundary of the subject property. The property has remained undeveloped for a number of years, with some of the older mill structures still in place that will need to be demolished.

Parking is to be located to the south side between the two large greenhouses and in front of the main entrance.

The street frontage is the road into the facility the facility itself and the parking area is proposed to be landscaped, including an environmentally-friendly swale, shrubs and trees.

Photo Credit: NowMedia

Traffic counts and traffic analysis were undertaken indicating that there will be minimal impacts on the existing capacity at the intersection and no significant safety or sightline issues were identified, said Newell.

The applicant has also submitted an Aquifer Protection Plan, completed by Golder Associated Ltd, dated April 27, 2018.

The report summarizes the aquifer and hydrogeologic characteristics, the history of the site, the proposed use and materials, recommended risk management strategies.

Photo Credit: RDOSThe RDOS board will discuss a building permit application from a California-based medical marijuana production company next Thursday. The company wants to build a huge greenhouse production facility in Okanagan Falls.

The report also provides background on the previous subsurface environmental and hydro-geological investigations in accordance with the BC Contaminated Sites Regulations. In 2012, the BC Ministry of Environment issued a certificate of compliance for the former Weyerhauser mill.

Odour control measures will be incorporated through the design of the buildings and venting systems.

These measures include that no air will be exhausted from within the cultivation areas of the greenhouses, that venting will occur from the service building with the exhausting air passing through multiple carbon cassette filters or UV light and high pressure mist lines which applies non irritating, environmentally-friendly odour neutralizer, before exhausting.

Blackout screens are purpose built to prevent light pollution from grow lights being visible from the exterior of the greenhouses. Blackout screens are used at night and automatically controlled to open at sunrise and close at sunset.