City slaps zoning notice on medical marijuana grower at former Boomers bar

The city has slapped a zoning violation notice on a medical marijuana grower operating in a former bar and strip club on Kenilworth Avenue North.

A company is growing medical marijuana at the former home of Boomers bar, said city spokesperson Ann Lamanes. The building also once housed a strip club.

The operator has a federal license to grow medical marijuana, Lamanes said. But the building isn't zoned for that purpose, and it has to be.

The city's zoning laws say that urban medical marijuana operations can only be located on agricultural land, and in certain industrial parts of the city. The former Boomers bar doesn't qualify, Lamanes said.

The city first noticed the operation when it went to the site to check out a sign in disrepair that violated the city's sign bylaw. 

"When the officer went to the site, he smelled something a little funny," Lamanes said.

Meanwhile, residents have been complaining about the smell of pot coming from the building for months, Merulla said. He's been working with city officials on it.

He said he's not worried about medical marijuana operations, per se.

"There were no noise complaints. No complaints of gang activity. No complaints about raucous behavior," Merulla said. But the smell bothers people, and "it doesn't meet the character of the street and what we're doing there."​

Police investigated briefly but are no longer involved, Lamanes said.

The zoning violation notice expires on June 30, she said. In the meantime, "we're hoping they will apply for zoning but haven't heard anything yet."

Merulla said he's frustrated that the federal government seems to be handing out licenses without knowing if medical marijuana places are appropriately located.

"Right now, we have a wild west scenario going on," he said.