Wicked Local
Mayor Ruthanne Fuller said she first learned about a gun shop planning to open at 709 Washington St. about two weeks before city councilors, according to an email she sent April 29.
Many members of the City Council, including President Susan Albright, said they only found out about the firearms dealer after receiving emails from worried constituents about rumors they had heard.
“During the week of March 29, NPD [Newton Police Department] moved forward the paperwork on the application and I first learned that a gun store was proposed for Washington Street,” she said in the email. “Internal discussions began focused on the approval process for firearm sales licenses and what powers and options we have as a city.”
Wicked Local
With a gun shop looking to open at 709 Washington St., next to Garden Remedies, a marijuana dispensary, many city councilors and upset residents are taking parallel steps to prevent this from happening.
There are currently no restrictions on where a gun store can be located in Newton. Proposed zoning amendments were released on Friday, April 16. The City Council, which was due to meet on April 20, will likely refer these amendments to the Zoning and Planning Committee (ZAP) for a public hearing on May 10, according to the city’s Law Department.
The proposed amendments “would only allow firearms sales related uses in certain zoning districts in the city,” according to an email from Mayor Ruthanne Fuller. They “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.”
Wicked Local
With support from Mayor Ruthanne Fuller and a majority of city councilors, Newton for the first time will provide Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds for a project at a house of worship.
By voting 17-5 in favor of awarding more than $1.43 million in CPA money to help repair Grace Episcopal Church’s historic tower, most councilors indicated they did not believe the move went against the state’s anti-aid amendment.
The anti-aid amendment prohibits granting public money to several non-public entities, including schools and religious institutions, except in specific circumstances.
The church applied for the money because “a design defect has rendered the tower unstable, creating an emergency situation and a threat to public safety,” according to a Community Preservation Committee (CPC) report.