Councillor vows to fight planner’s pot-store snub
Bortolin angry over city staffer’s objection to downtown location
An angry and frustrated Coun. Rino Bortolin is preparing a “litany of questions” for Monday’s council meeting, after city planner Thom Hunt objected — on the city’s behalf — to the downtown location proposed for Windsor’s first retail pot store.
Bortolin, who said he’s been inundated with messages from downtown supporters upset and shocked over the surprise position by city administration, is questioning: why Hunt decided to oppose the 545 Ouellette Ave. location; why the opposition came on Friday, the last possible day to register objections to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, without any notice; and whether Hunt’s letter of objection can be withdrawn or revised. He also wants a reconsideration vote of a Jan. 21 resolution that called for Windsor to “opt in” to allowing cannabis retail but which also delegated authority to Hunt to make comments to the commission on individual cannabis-store applications.
“I think (administration) made the wrong call on this one,” Bortolin said, recounting how council’s intent — in an 8-3 vote — was to allow the stores with few requirements — one being they can’t be located within 150 metres of an addiction treatment centre — beyond what the province was requiring. During that Jan. 21 meeting, councillors talked about the benefits of locating a store downtown, said Bortolin.
“In my view (administration) went against the desires and wishes and hopes of council. The only way to make sure that it doesn’t happen again is to remove the delegation of authority.”
A reconsideration vote usually requires two-thirds support to pass.
Hunt said Wednesday he made a “judgment call” on the location, after consultations with numerous departments and agencies, most notably Windsor Police and the Windsor-essex County Health Unit, which raised “pretty serious concerns.”
The health unit took the position that a store shouldn’t be located within 500 metres of a school, library, park, recreation centre, beer store, addiction treatment centre or tobacco retailer. The health unit restrictions would mean there would be almost nowhere in the entire city and nowhere in the downtown where a cannabis store could be located, according to Bortolin.
He’s hoping the alcohol and gaming commission ignores the city opposition and approves the store that would bring thousands of boots to downtown.
The police report on the location listed numerous concerns about the location, such as the potential for loitering and safety concerns in the dark back alley, but also included suggestions to remedy those concerns like adding alley lights and security cameras. The police report did not oppose the location.
“I totally see that,” Hunt said. But he added what concerned him about the police comments were that they focused on places, such as the alley, that neither the store’s owner nor the commission had any control over. Fixing safety concerns in the alley would end up the responsibility of the City of Windsor, said Hunt. He said there was absolutely no pressure put on him to make the objection — that it was his decision alone after numerous consultations.
The retail cannabis policy statement approved by council in January recommends that the city planner consult with various agencies. He said when he did, he heard some concerns he couldn’t ignore.
“At the end of the day, I took a pretty conservative interpretation of that policy statement when confronted with the comments we got from the police and health unit,” said Hunt. He declined to comment on Bortolin’s assessment that administration “made the wrong call.”
“If that comes up on Monday (at the council meeting), obviously I’ll address it.”
Bortolin said he intends to vigorously raise questions at Monday’s meeting to get to the bottom of the controversy. “I’m not going to let this go easy, this is ridiculous.”
The Ward 3 councillor is in Calgary attending a transit conference and has visited cannabis stores there. They resemble “weird little jewelry stores,” with product in glass cases and well-behaved customers. There are hundreds of examples across the country now of legal stores operating without any problems, he said.
John Ansell, who co-owns the Squirrel Cage and Dogs Breakfast restaurants on Maiden Lane with partner Steve Thompson, said they recently were in Montreal where they saw a huge lineup in front of a cannabis store. He thought how great such a lineup would be for the downtown and was shocked when he heard about the city’s opposition to the proposed location.
“Our jaws just sort of dropped. I don’t understand the logic,” said Ansell, who said the general consensus downtown is shock.
“We want it, it’s another storefront that wouldn’t be empty.”
He said the demographic for these stores, which sell product at a fairly high price compared to the black market, is not the sketchy addict some people may picture.
“A cannabis store would be a reputable business. It would not bring an unsavoury demographic and I can’t imagine people fighting in a cannabis store.”
Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario spokesman Raymond Kahnert said the city’s objection letter was one of two comments received during the 15day consultation period. The other was from a resident supporting the location.
The applicant, Rose City Cannabis owner Kyriakos (Kirk) Anastasiadis of London, receives copies of the comments and has five days to respond to the AGCO registrar, who then considers all the submissions and makes a decision on issuing a Retail Store Authorization.
Kahnert said there is no set time for when the registrar would make the decision.