A cannabis dispensary previously proposed for Highland Square may be headed to the 1.7 acre site of a vacant CVS building in Akron’s Merriman Valley, despite vocal opposition from members of a nearby homeowners’ association during an Akron Planning Commission meeting Friday morning.
The residents, who live in a condominium development immediately south of the empty drug store, are worried about their property values and the potential for increased traffic, among other beliefs they hold about the implications of dispensaries.
Three out of the five members of the Planning Commission backed the City of Akron Department of Planning and Urban Development’s recommendation to allow a company called OPC Cultivation, which does business as Firelands Scientific, to renovate the 28-year-old building and open shop.
Akron City Council has the final say on whether the company can move into the vacant building on West Portage Trail, near its intersection with North Portage Path.
Drew Finkes, a Westlake-based real estate development manager for Firelands Scientific, pitched to the commission the dispensary’s compliance with state and local laws and the round-the-clock security the facility would have.
The Cleveland-based architect hired by the company told the commission about the proposed landscaping, fencing and design for the facility. The two expect the location to draw about 225 customers per day.
Nicole Lee, who owns the nearby Valley Centre Plaza strip mall and other local businesses, plus six owners of condominiums on Waters Edge Drive just south of the vacant CVS, including the homeowners’ association president, pleaded with the commission to not allow the dispensary to move in.
Some cited a 2020 study that states there’s a correlation between legal cannabis dispensaries and a decrease in home values in the State of Washington. Other studies show the opposite.
Increased traffic, potential impact on children are areas of residents’ concerns
Most residents were upset about the potential for more traffic — ”it would be insanity,” one resident said. The city’s planning director, Kyle Julien, said that fear of significantly higher traffic is “unfounded,” leading to a chorus of groans from the residents.
A few people said the proposed location is illegal because of a nearby Klutch Cannabis facility on Akron-Peninsula Road, which they said would violate the law against dispensaries operating within a mile of each other. Julien said that facility is just for cultivation, so the CVS location is legal.
Lee was upset about the potential impact on children nearby. Julien said the building is outside of the 500-foot radius of “prohibited” locations like child care facilities and schools.
After a half hour of passionate opposition and a brief rebuttal from Julien and the cannabis company, three of the five planning commission members voted to recommend that Akron City Council allow the project to move forward.
Each opponent of the dispensary immediately stood up and left chambers. One speaker, as she was shuffling through the tight pews on her way to the door, looked down on the still-seated cannabis company’s representatives.
“It’s all about the money, right?” she said.