Newton Gun Shop getting pushback

It will be interesting to see what market they try to go after. Newton is surrounded by some of the richest towns in the Commonwealth (Weston, Wellesley, Brookline). There is a lot of disposable income in that area. And there is a decent number of active LTCs in those tony towns. Maybe they plan on going after the members of the Weston Shooters Club with high $$$$ gear.
 
Why would you pick there of all places for a gun shop? I mean, it really shouldn't matter in terms of difficulty as long as zoning is compliant, but in terms of target audience?

Meh, think of how many gun stores there are within Boston proper or Cambridge. Not very many. J&J in Dedham, B and K in Natick, the other one in Natick, am I missing any?
Some of the comments elude to why it wouldn’t be a terrible idea; lack of gun stores in the area. Where I am, the ones mentioned above are closest followed by MFS 45 minutes away.
Probably the absolute worst time to be getting in to it, but there’s probably more demand in that area than people realize.
 
If free market doesn't want then it won't support. Nevermind that Newton doesn't wants, it's also a sht location. (Nobody gets off the pike 5o go shopping)
They do to go to Cabot's for ice cream!
Parking most likely will be a joy if it's like any other part of the city.

Maybe another gold plated school will shut them up. LOL
It's been a few years, but IIRC they had legal parking on the street there.
It's right next to Marty's liquors, the pot dispensary, Cabot's Ice-cream, Jeep Dealership and a WholeFoods too. HA! NES Heaven!
Very true.
It will be interesting to see what market they try to go after. Newton is surrounded by some of the richest towns in the Commonwealth (Weston, Wellesley, Brookline). There is a lot of disposable income in that area. And there is a decent number of active LTCs in those tony towns. Maybe they plan on going after the members of the Weston Shooters Club with high $$$$ gear.
Yup and lots of small store merchants, many that own and carry guns to protect their businesses.
I'll check it out, and get some ice cream afterwards. Guns and ice cream - looking forward to it!
Bingo!
 
Meh, think of how many gun stores there are within Boston proper or Cambridge. Not very many. J&J in Dedham, B and K in Natick, the other one in Natick, am I missing any?
Some of the comments elude to why it wouldn’t be a terrible idea; lack of gun stores in the area. Where I am, the ones mentioned above are closest followed by MFS 45 minutes away.
Probably the absolute worst time to be getting in to it, but there’s probably more demand in that area than people realize.
I suppose that's true. Inside the 95 belt is rather bleak with maybe 3-4 stores for that large an area.

GFA is maybe the other one you were thinking in Natick. That was actually my first gun purchase location. Not sure if they're still open.
 
It's been a few years, but IIRC they had legal parking on the street there.
It's metered parking on both sides of Washington Street on that stretch. The pot shop bought a vacant lot next door and spent a year having it raised with large retaining walls to accommodate more accessory parking. Supposedly behind Martys/Wholefoods as an extension of Court Street to Crafts Street is going to be Newton's new police department/public safety HQ as a land swap with Korf the developer in West Newton.
 
Many years ago a guy opened a gun shop here in Acton. On Rt 27. Forget the name. A group of anti broads marched on the police station to bitch to the chief about it. They were told that the shop was properly zoned and licensed so live with it. Acton, the way life should be. Jack.
Nimrods, Next door to the bowling alley, Jim Slattery was the owner and he sold it to Ray Nichols who moved it to Boxborough.
 
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Why would you pick there of all places for a gun shop? I mean, it really shouldn't matter in terms of difficulty as long as zoning is compliant, but in terms of target audience?
Maybe he wants to play with machine guns and suppressors in this Connie $hithole of all state and piss off a lot of fuds at the same time! I say more luck to him.
 
I don’t disagree... but if he opens, I’d definitely go there and buy something just on general principles.
This, I'm too far away, but everyone in MA who needs a new pew pew should buy from this guy, assuming the shop is green lit. Nothing would piss the Newton liberals off more than if this place became wildly successful and drew in tons of out of towners.
 
Apparently their is a group on FB trying to stop it too:

You know these people are dipshits because they set their politically-motivated fb group to PRIVATE!

[rofl][rofl][rofl][rofl]
 
UPDATE!

From the mayor’s newsletter …
Thanks to the thoughtful collaboration of City Council President Susan Albright, the City’s Law, Planning, Inspectional Services, and Police Departments, today I and members of the City Council have jointly docketed an amendment to the City’s zoning ordinance that would only allow firearms sales related uses in certain zoning districts in the City. It will also require firearms sales uses to be approved by special permit by the City Council. Finally, it will create specific special permit criteria, including a buffer zone between a firearms dealer and residences and schools.
What is the process moving forward for the proposed zoning amendment?
The City Council will assign the proposed zoning amendments to the appropriate committees at its meeting on Tuesday, April 20 and also assign a public hearing date. It is likely that the matter will be assigned to the Zoning and Planning Committee (ZAP) for a public hearing on May 10, 2021. At the public hearing, the Council will hear input from the public. It will then discuss the draft language, potentially make revisions, and ultimately recommend that matter to the full City Council for a final vote to approve the zoning amendments.
In general, zoning is prospective and would not limit ongoing uses and businesses that are already operating.
However, the State Zoning Act, Chapter 40A, does state that any approved zoning amendment will apply to any use/business that has not commenced prior to the publication of notice of the public hearing for the zoning amendment.
It is expected that the City Council will provide notice of the public hearing in the newspaper on April 26 and May 3, 2021. Practically speaking, if there is a proposed firearm dealer use that has not started operating by those dates, it will be subject to the proposed zoning amendments whenever those amendments are passed.
Why are we not prohibiting gun stores everywhere in Newton?
The City Council has broad authority to regulate all land uses in Newton, including the location of firearms dealers. That said, in light of the nature of the issues and the implications of Constitutional protections, it may be reasonable to expect that the more restrictively firearm sales are regulated, the more likely such regulations will be subject to a court challenge.
 
Sounds like the town's legal counsel pulled a flask out of their desk. Purposefully changing zoning to target a business for retribution is a big no no.

The pants shitting is ridiculous. Newton Center had a gun shop like 30 years ago for high end shotguns and whatnot.

I doubt these bigots even know Lee Sports is 5 minutes away right on the Newton Waltham border.
Meh, think of how many gun stores there are within Boston proper or Cambridge. Not very many. J&J in Dedham, B and K in Natick, the other one in Natick, am I missing any?
Lee Sports in Waltham, C&R Sports in Winthrop, and Sportsman's Den in Quincy.
 
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Sounds like the town's legal counsel pulled a flask out of their desk. Purposefully changing zoning to target a business for retribution is a big no no.
What this world needs is a truly slick NESer who can troll the board
into putting a comment violative of civil rights into the official minutes.
I'm not talking about 2A - I'm talking about some commercial interest
that the courts customarily enforce.
 
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