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A new marijuana dispensary will be coming to Akron’s Fairlawn Heights neighborhood, over the objections of a number of nearby business owners and residents.
Members of Akron City Council on Monday voted 10-3 to approve the request from Klutch Cannabis to open a dispensary for both medicinal and recreational use at 1956 W. Market St., an empty lot near Ken Stewart’s Grille.
More than 20 people sent letters opposing the dispensary or came to a public hearing Monday afternoon to ask council members to reject the request for a permit to allow the dispensary to be built there. They cited concerns about traffic, crime and marijuana usage itself.
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Regina Milan, who owns Pink Petals Florist, said she doesn’t think a dispensary is the safest use for the empty lot next to her building. She’s also concerned about the longevity of her business there — Pete Nischt, Klutch’s vice president of compliance and communications, said he has the building she is leasing under contract to purchase.
“I just don’t think it’s the right thing for that neighborhood,” Milan said. “I don’t know what will happen if the building is sold. It will really put me in a hard spot.”
Others said they worried that the dispensary wouldn’t be a good neighbor, that its presence would put bus-riding seniors at risk or that putting any business on the land, which is zoned for retail use, would be bad for the area.
Klutch, which is based in Akron, doesn’t expect huge amounts of traffic, Nischt said. The business should do between 100 and 120 transactions a day, with as many as 60% of sales coming from online orders, which means people will not be staying long.
He said there’s plenty of parking — 22 spaces, plus 10 overflow spots, when only 13 are required — and he expects to add 15 jobs when the store opens.
State law also requires surveillance of the property, including cameras that capture the perimeter and each register.
“This’ll be the most secure facility in the neighborhood,” Nischt told council members. “We’re proud to be headquartered here in Akron, and our dream is to have a flagship store.”
Klutch also has locations in Lorain, Canton and Loudonville. A store in Northfield is planned and a Cleveland store will open on Friday.
Council President Margo Sommerville said she understood the concern of residents who don’t want to see increased traffic in the area or who are worried about the effect of Klutch on their business, as Milan is. But council’s job is to determine whether a marijuana dispensary is an appropriate use for the land, she said. And in this case, it is.
“Any type of business could move in and bring more traffic,” Somerville said. “We’re dealing with a company where Akron, too, is their home. That’s really important.”
Klutch has invested in Akron, said Phil Lombardo, the Ward 2 council member. He praised the company for its cooperation with Akron police when asked and said he thinks its presence will be good for the neighborhood.
But Council Members Bruce Bolden, Johnnie Hannah and Linda Omobien said they didn’t think a dispensary was right for the area. All three voted against the proposal.
“It’s a busy intersection and it’s not going to get less busy,” Bolden said. “I have to go with the people in my ward.”
While allowing Klutch Cannabis, council members rejected a Highland Square smoke shop’s pitch to become a vape shop — distinguished by how many of its products are in one category or another.
A smoke shop is an establishment where at least 20% of retail sales come from selected products and/or at least 20% of the retail space is used for the selected products.
A vape shop is “any business whose principal product line for retail sale is alternative nicotine products or vape juice, or both,” according to Akron’s ordinance. These are considered principal products if they account for at least 25% of the business’s annual retail sales.
The business, Smoke Shop+ at 822 W. Market St. near the Highland Square Theatre, already exists as a smoke shop, but its owners were hoping to expand its vape offerings beyond 25%. The planning department recommended that council members reject the store’s request, which they did with an 11-2 vote.
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Economics of Akron Reporter (she/her)
Arielle is a Northeast Ohio native with more than 20 years of reporting experience in Cleveland, Atlanta and Detroit. She joined Signal Akron as its founding education reporter, where she covered Akron Public Schools and the University of Akron.
As the economics of Akron reporter, Arielle will cover topics including housing, economic development and job availability. Through her reporting, she aims to help Akron residents understand the economic issues that are affecting their ability to live full lives in the city, and highlight information that can help residents make decisions. Arielle values diverse voices in her reporting and seeks to write about under-covered issues and groups.
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