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Developer seeks conditional use for dual medical/retail cannabis dispensary at 926 E. Waterloo; physician voices safety concerns
Summary
Pharmaceutical RX LLC requested conditional‑use approval to convert a vacant retail building at 926 East Waterloo Road into a dual medical and adult‑use cannabis dispensary; planning staff recommended approval subject to conditions and Coventry Township and state review.
Pharmaceutical RX LLC asked the Planning Committee for conditional‑use approval to establish a dual‑use (medical and adult‑use) cannabis dispensary at 926 East Waterloo Road, a vacant retail structure formerly occupied by an Arthur Treacher’s restaurant.
Planning staff said the 2,751‑square‑foot building would be remodeled, receive a modest rear addition partially in Coventry Township, and would provide roughly 30 spaces in the front (Akron) and a dozen in the rear (Coventry). The petitioner stated the site requires no more than 14 parking spaces. The plan includes a drive‑through lane for product pickup, a secure fenced area for deliveries, lighting, and video surveillance; staff reported no objections from city departments and recommended approval subject to conditions. Coventry Township and the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control must also review or license the operation.
Greg Guroski, representing the applicant, said the company will operate security systems, 360‑degree cameras, secure deliveries and a no‑loitering policy, and that they already operate dispensaries in East Liverpool and Cuyahoga Falls and a level‑1 cultivation site in East Liverpool. He said the petitioners were following city guidance in seeking conditional‑use approval.
Dr. Waleed Niemer, an internal medicine physician who testified in opposition, said his practice has operated in the area for decades and that the presence of a dispensary next to medical offices raises “a security issue.” He said he worried about increased foot traffic and the effect on older patients and staff, and warned that his practice could reconsider planned expansions if the dispensary opened at the Waterloo location.
Planning staff and the applicant said the site is more than a mile from other cannabis facilities and is in a heavily traveled retail district with highway access. The committee opened the public hearing but did not make a final recommendation at that session; staff noted the committee would reconvene at 5:00 p.m. for a recommendation to the full council. The petitioner said Coventry Township proceedings are ongoing.
The committee reserved final action pending further discussion at the evening session and continued review of any required township and state approvals.
