The conversion of the dining half of downtown Stoney Creek’s Attic pizzeria into a pot shop is underway even though the necessary approvals from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario are still under review.

But owner Ned Kuruc says he’s confident enough to proceed with renovations and installation of an exterior sign because he’s following an AGCO checklist to ensure the 1,000-square-foot Neku Cannabis store meets all requirements.

This includes security cameras to surveil “every inch” of the store’s interior and exterior, ensuring the interior isn’t visible from outside, and secure rooms to store data and cannabis products, he said.

A Neku Cannabis sign has also gone up outside because it’s required by the AGCO before approval to ensure it doesn’t have cartoon characters or other images that may appeal to children, he added.

“We’re doing exactly what we’re being told to do, nothing more, nothing less, and we don’t have a definite opening date as of yet,” Kuruc said. “You have to renovate in order to get approval; you can’t do one without the other.”

The preparations and approval process don’t sit well with neighbours and their councillor, Chad Collins, who opposed the shop during a formal commenting period in April.

They fear a repeat of experiences with The Wellness Glass Co., an illegal pot shop that rented a home Kuruc owns next door until shut down by police in the fall of 2018.

Collins said the Attic renovations show the approval process is flawed and “has created a lot of confusion in the public.”

He said he wants Premier Doug Ford’s government to change its legislation to better notify people of applications and allow municipalities to zone cannabis shops in areas with limited impact on residential communities.

Collins said “an overhaul of their piecemeal approval process that seems to encourage the complete retrofit of the business prior to granting approval” is also needed.

“Like other retail uses, municipalities should have the ability to protect local residents,” he said. “Those safeguards are completely absent.”

Dave Long, who’s led neighbourhood opposition to the Attic pot shop, said even with all required safeguards, Kuruc can’t guarantee his customers won’t create the same offsite problems as the illegal shop.

These included traffic congestion, parking and noise complaints, fist fights, urination on neighbouring properties and conflicts with residents, he said, adding he’s written letters to Ford and the head of the AGCO to voice his concerns.

“It’s a nightmare Round 2,” Long said of Neku Cannabis. “People just have no respect for the neighbourhood. They want their dope and they want it now.”

Kuruc said he’s had to rebut objections raised during the April comment period and some opposition reflected a mistaken impression the Attic’s bar and patio would remain open, when only the takeout side will continue.

He said there will be enough parking on-site and customers won’t be able to congregate or smoke pot outside.

“At the end of the day, it will create a more quiet place,” Kuruc said, noting regulations require the shop to close by 11 p.m.

“I’ve been doing business in the downtown core since 2003. I own the property. If I don’t have a vested interest, then who does?”

AGCO spokesperson Raymond Kahnert said the Attic’s application for a retail operating licence and a retail store authorization are still under review.

Applicants need both approvals before they can order pot products from the Ontario Cannabis Store, and then must pass a final inspection of their premises to ensure they meet all regulations before being authorized to open, he said via email.

“I cannot provide you with an estimated date when the process will conclude,” Kahnert said. “Applicants make their own business decisions to proceed with renovations before a store is approved.”

Stoney Creek presently has three legal pot shops — Tokyo Smoke and Sessions Cannabis on the Mountain, and The Hunny Pot near Eastgate Square.

Four others are in the approval process: Cannabis Creek Co. by the Village Restaurant; Mihi at the Winona Crossing Shopping Centre; Choomb Cannabis in the Walmart plaza by the corner of Rymal and Swayze roads, and Erbn Green in the former Farmer Al’s Market by the corner of Rymal Road East and Kingsborough Drive.

An application for a Toke store in the plaza at the northwest corner of Barton Street and Centennial Parkway North is also undergoing a public comment period ending on July 27.

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STORY BEHIND THE STORY:

We wanted to determine the status the Attic pizzeria’s application to open a pot shop after learning a sign had gone up outside and renovations to the dining side are underway.