ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- A mural on the side of pipe shop in Englewood is stirring controversy.

Some folks are upset that the mural depicts characters from Alice in Wonderland smoking what appears to be pot and popping pills. The shop owner said he had the big, bold colorful mural painted on the side of his shop to deter taggers and graffiti.

Michael Mahaney, the owner of the Headed West store on South Broadway and East Layton, said his shop sells pipes and smoking accessories and the mural depicts the theme of his shop.

"It does have a caterpillar smoking off a hookah. We do sell hookas and different pipes, with shisha, which is a flavored tobacco that is really popular with the younger kids," said Mahaney.

The Englewood Auto Repair and Body Shop sits across the street from Headed West, and from their vantage point, the painted scene from Alice in Wonderland is a not so-subtle endorsement of drugs.

"I just don't like the overtones of it. I've got grandkids and I really don't want them seeing that when they come down here," said David White, with the Englewood Auto Repair Shop. "It's obvious to me what they're advertising. I mean, it's a head shop."

White is one of several people who complained to the city of Englewood after the mural went up recently. The city decided that Mahaney didn't have the required permit for what it considered a sign. The city also said that the mural is too big for a business that size. The city ordered Mahaney to cover it up.

"To be honest with you, I think it's a little ridiculous. I mean, it is simply just artwork. It doesn't convey anything illegal. It's not hurting anybody by any means," Mahaney said.

But White said the artwork is not as innocent as Mahaney makes it seem.

"Well, I don't think I recall from Alice in Wonderland that kind of ... I don't know. I haven't read it in a long time, but I don't remember it being that way," White said.

City rules in Englewood require shop owners to clean up graffiti on their premises within three days. Mahaney did that with the mural but he now has a week to cover up the mural. Mahaney said he will paint the building yellow.

On the other side of his shop there is a mural showing musicians such as Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison. It's not known if that mural will also need to be removed.