NORWALK — Shangri-La CT Inc. says it would like to be the first recreational cannabis dispensary to operate in the city, with a hope of opening in about three months.
Its cannabis dispensary special permit was approved by Norwalk’s Planning and Zoning Commission on Wednesday — the second recreational cannabis dispensary approved by the commission.
Shangri-La’s attorney Elizabeth Suchy said they were ready to move forward immediately upon approval.
“We would like to be the first one to open. … We were the first one to submit, the second one to be heard at a hearing — but we would like to be the first ones to open,” Suchy said.
The Shangri-La dispensary will occupy a portion of the existing three-story building at 430 Main Ave.
During the meeting, Shangri-La CT Inc. CEO Nevil Patel outline the dispensary’s security measures.
“Cannabis facilities, in general, when it comes to retail are probably some of the most secure facilities located within that city,” Patel said.
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There will be about 40 to 60 camera in the business and all the doors will have locks, he said. Customers will enter a waiting room with a security check-in counter to be processed before they are shown any products in the back room, Patel said.
The vault where the cannabis is kept will be made with 8 inches of reinforced concrete and will have at least six security cameras, he said.
Customers will have the option of ordering online or receiving help by staff in person.
At the public hearing, some residents who live in condos at 442 Main Ave. expressed concerns about traffic, parking, property values and noise in what they said is a “quiet community.”
Patel and Suchy addressed their concerns and said since the location is zoned for retail, their concerns about traffic, parking and noise are not unique to a cannabis retail store.
“Surprisingly enough, the property value goes up on average by about $22,888 in the cities where cannabis is legal and the dispensary are located versus cities where cannabis is illegal and dispensaries are not located,” Patel said.
Commission Chair Louis Schulman said that he is happy that Connecticut decriminalized cannabis but expressed some reservations.
“I am not a user of marijuana,” Schulman said. “I do not, frankly, support the use of marijuana, but I was part of this commission when we approved regulations for these shops. Having voted in favor of that I feel that, this evening, I feel obligated to do the same for this application.”
The Planning and Zoning Commission passed Shangri-La’s special permit with a vote of 6-1, with two members abstaining.
In April, the commission approved Fine Fettle’s proposal to open and operate a dispensary in South Norwalk at 191 Main St. Fine Fettle opened a dispensary in Stamford in January, which was among the first in Connecticut.
Shangri-La CT Inc. has active dispensaries in Ohio and Missouri and is expanding to three more states, including Connecticut. In Connecticut, Patel said they plan to have six dispensaries and one grow center.
H/T: www.ctpost.com
