GROW HOME-FREE SUBDIVISIONS HIT IN B.C.

A British Columbia developer is building Canada's first guaranteed
marijuana grow op-free subdivision, but it's unlikely the idea will
catch on in York Region.

Bill Coughlin of ReMax Little Oak Realty in B.C.'s Fraser Valley said
he's three weeks away from beginning sales on the 15-home gated
community in Chilliwack, which will require owners to sign an
agreement to give up their homes if a marijuana grow operation is
found inside.

"Owners will have to sign a covenant. If you do have a marijuana grow
op, you will be punished. You'll have to sell your home back at
appraisal prices within 30 days, minus all the fines imposed for
having the grow op," he said.

In addition to the covenant, there will be a central hydro meter to
prevent growers from stealing hydro and chemical testing of the sewer
lines to look for signs of other kinds of drug labs.

Any structural changes to a home will have to be inspected by the
community and a set of other bylaws and fines will be
implemented.

There will also be a gate at the front entrance to the subdivision
with a security camera and a sign advising images captured will be
forwarded to the RCMP if there's a drug investigation.

"That's the one single thing that will surely deter (marijuana
growers) from moving here," he said. "They don't want their picture
taken and their customers don't want their picture taken either."

Lawyers have told Mr. Coughlin there's a 50-50 chance the Supreme
Court of Canada won't uphold any of the bylaws should they be
challenged, but he doesn't think it will get that far.

Law enforcement estimates put the number of active marijuana grow ops
in B.C. at around 25,000. In the Greater Toronto Area, police say
there are an estimated 10,000 on the go.

Neighbours Affected

Mr. Coughlin, a 22-year veteran of the real estate business, developed
the idea of a grow op free subdivision after talking to a long-time
client.

"He was in a beautiful 4,000 square foot home in a subdivision of
about 25 of the nicest homes in the area," he said. "When he found out
he was living behind a grow op for the last five years, he was willing
to take a $100,000 loss just to move away. But I had to tell him,
there's nowhere he would be safe from grow houses. They're
everywhere."

He talked to 100 other clients, who all said they'd been affected in
one way or another by a grow home in their neighbourhoods.

Looking to see if grow ops lowered demand for a property and, in turn,
devalued it, Mr. Coughlin asked the same 100 people if they would buy
a home near a grow op. All said no, although at a $50,000 discount,
three said they'd be interested.

Until the local grow home problem reaches the epidemic proportions of
B.C., Mr. Coughlin's plan would not fly here, said Carlo Raponi of
Vaughan-based Baycliffe Homes.

"The attraction is not there right now," he said. "Personally, I don't
see it working here, unless (grow homes) really become an epidemic."

There are fewer gated communities in the Greater Toronto Area than the
lower mainland surrounding Vancouver and the biggest security trend
right now is the less extreme measure of hiring private security for
subdivisions, Mr. Raponi said.

When the homes go on sale from $300,000 to $400,000, Mr. Coughlin
expects them to sell quickly.

If all goes as expected, he plans to build more of the same, until
growers are pushed out of the province.

"Don't be surprised if they show up there," he said.

And when they do, Mr. Raponi said somebody in the development business
will surely run with Mr. Coughlin's idea.

"At the end of the day, someone may try it, not someone established,
someone trying to break into the market may get into it," he said.
"The entire development community will keep their eyes on it and if
they do well, we'll all jump on the bandwagon."