After months of tension over a proposed cannabis dispensary that neighbors say does not belong in a former CVS store in Akron’s Merriman Valley, City Council approved the project this week — underscoring the limits of neighborhood opposition when a proposal meets zoning requirements and state law.
After the 7-5 vote Jan. 29, several residents stood up and left the chamber, shaking their heads as council concluded the meeting.
“Our council member threw us under the bus,” said Jennifer Konstand, 61, of Ward 1 representative Fran Wilson. “More than 90% of the people in this neighborhood are totally against it, and we’re the ones who are directly affected.”…