Proposed Riverdale Avenue cannabis dispensary faces neighborhood opposition

A proposed cannabis dispensary in North Riverdale is drawing opposition from residents and neighborhood institutions.

The proposed shop, Happy Times Cannabis, would occupy 5694 Riverdale Ave., formerly Mary-Anne’s Irish Gift Shop, which shuttered earlier this year after more than three decades. However, the dispensary’s proximity to several schools and houses of worship has raised concerns among educators, elected officials and neighbors alike.

At an Oct. 22 meeting of Bronx Community Board 8’s Public Safety Committee, committee chair Ed Green revealed the board received 46 letters in opposition to the shop and only one in favor.

Among those objecting was Jonathan Kroll, principal of SAR High School, at 503 W. 259th St., whose campus sits across the street from the proposed dispensary site.

“I don’t love the idea of a cannabis dispensary so close to school,” Kroll said, emphasizing that his concerns were not about the legalization of marijuana itself, but rather where it would be sold.

The controversy centers largely on New York’s rules governing how close cannabis retailers can operate to schools.

Under legislation signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Feb. 11, dispensaries cannot operate within 500 feet of a school building located on the same street. The distance is measured between specified entrances, rather than school property lines, a nuance that opponents argue leaves some schools inadequately protected.

SAR’s main entrance is on West 259th Street, while the proposed dispensary would face Riverdale Avenue. Although Kroll estimated the two entrances were less than 200 feet apart, the different street designations could complicate whether the restriction applies.

“It seems to me that the spirit of the law was that the state of New York feels that it’s not a good idea for a cannabis dispensary to be in close proximity to the school,” Kroll said.

He also pointed to St. Margaret of Cortona-St. Gabriel School, at 452 W. 260th St., which has an entrance along Riverdale Avenue, as well as standing plans to expand SAR’s facilities onto property adjacent to the existing campus, which also includes an entrance on Riverdale Avenue.

The planned expansion would include additional meeting space, a gymnasium and indoor sports facilities, Kroll said.

Assembly member Jeffrey Dinowitz, who attended the meeting, similarly questioned whether the location complied with state law, noting its proximity to SAR, St. Margaret of Cortona-St. Gabriel and potentially P.S. 81.

He argued that St. Margaret of Cortona-St. Gabriel School’s frontage along Riverdale Avenue could provide grounds for rejecting the application, although the state would ultimately determine whether the business meets its requirements.

Manider Singh, representing applicant Blissful Breeze LLC, the company behind Happy Times Cannabis with dispensary locations in Staten Island and Western New York, appeared before the committee on behalf of his uncle, Ronak Singh, who was unable to attend.

Singh said the proposed business would operate as a licensed dispensary, requiring customers to present identification proving they are at least 21. He also questioned why cannabis businesses face different restrictions than liquor stores when it comes to operating near schools.

Ronak Singh and Happy Times Cannabis did not respond to requests for further comment by press time.

Green said the opposition was directed at the location rather than the applicants themselves.

“I don’t want … you to take this as any indictment of you or your family or your business,” Green said. “This is how the community is reacting to this particular business in this particular location.”

Green said the dispute also reflected growing frustration over the New York State Office of Cannabis Management’s handling of community recommendations.

According to Green, the agency recently approved two dispensaries previously opposed by the community board, raising questions about how much weight community feedback carries in the licensing process.

The office of cannabis management did not respond to requests for comment by press time.

Despite the opposition, committee members acknowledged that cannabis businesses have a place in the neighborhood. Green noted that the board had previously supported other applications, including one for a business set to open in Kingsbridge.

The committee also advanced a resolution calling on the state to repeal recent changes to cannabis licensing regulations that altered how the required 500-foot distance between dispensaries and schools is measured.

Members argued that the current rules, which consider school entrances and whether establishments are on the same street, allow dispensaries to open near schools despite the law’s intended protections. The resolution seeks to restore broader restrictions on dispensaries near schools.

Both the resolution and the committee’s recommendation to reject the Happy Times application are expected to go before the full community board for a vote in November.

Ultimately, the decision on whether Happy Times Cannabis Company can open rests with the state office of cannabis management, regardless of the community board’s eventual recommendation.