The City Council met last week to debate changing the city’s zoning to restrict the locations where gun shops would be allowed in Newton. The plan put on the table at the meeting had a series of rules that would have limited possible sites to just two places – Rumford Ave and The Street on Rt 9.
The proponents had hoped for a quick vote that night to change the zoning immediately. Instead, a sizable contingent of councilors pushed for a blanket ban of all gun stores in the city. To that end, the item was tabled until the next meeting when a blanket ban will be debated.
Those arguing for a blanket ban were concerned that the proposed zoning change would still allow gun stores in the city. Those arguing against the blanket ban were concerned that it had the potential to drag the city into lengthy and expensive legal actions since it raises some hot button Second Amendment issues.
This week there was an interesting new angle on all this. Alana Stein, the General Manager of The Street made clear that regardless of whether zoning permitted it, the Street would have no interest in leasing to a gun shop.
““The Street Chestnut Hill strives to partner with businesses that meet the daily needs and wants of our family-centric customer base,” Stein said in a statement. “As such, we have no interest in leasing to a gun shop at The Street now or in the future.”
Here’s more about it from the Chamber of Commerce
And what about Rumford/Riverview? Why is that so impractical?
I empathize with the Waltham residents of the Island – the Woerd Ave. bridge is still closed so Rumford Ave. is their only way in and out.
They have to put up with ALS-causing blue-green algae covering the Cove all summer, the Waltham Watch Face site with its heavy metals, the Newton dump leaking who-knows-what…
If Newton is going to pick on its neighbors, it should try picking on us Needhamites.
So can we have clarity on where the locations exist for the zoning restriction proposal?
Besides the Street, are all other locations on the North side of the city?
Of course the only area for a gun shop will be the North Side of the city. As well as the majority of affordable housing, present and future. And that wonderful free food pantry on Watertown St. Because nobody on the south side of the city is suffering from food anxiety. Or has homeless persons. It’s all lollipops and sunshine over der. ( No disrespect to the Upper Falls)
W Mahegan -You’re just making stuff up.
This past year I’ve been periodically doing food deliveries from the three Newton food pantries to households without cars. I can assure you that unfortunately there are plenty of people with food insecurity all over the city – North and South. I can also confirm from personal direct knowledge that the north side of the city doesn’t have a monopoly on homelessness.
I really don’t understand why it’s so important for some folks to address very real local concerns by turning each issue into an us against-our-neighbors fight. All the issues you raise – food insecurity, affordable housing, homelessness are important to address across the city.
@Jerry
Your post says that there is only Rumford and the Street as permitted locations, but my understanding was that there is undeveloped land on North St in Nonantum that also would be permitted by this zoning restriction. This was mentioned in a prior CC meeting.
Can you clarify (has that changed) or correct your post?
@Alec:
Yes there are technically three locations where a gun shop could open under the super restrictive zoning that goes before the council on June 7.
You can see them on this map if you squint.
There’s two on the Waltham line (see the red and purple spots on the very top left of the map) both of which are generally not well-constituted for a gun retailer for various reasons.
The third spot (the red area on the lower right, just above the compass) is The Street at Chestnut Hill and we now know from the Street that they have “no interest in leasing to a gun shop at The Street now or in the future.”
Thanks, Jerry, for responding to W Mahagen. The divide across the city has widened and is just plain sad. The first freedge was, as I understand it, placed where it is based on a survey of food pantry users. It had to start somewhere, right? Its success, both in attracting kind and generous donors and (sadly) many users, has shown that perhaps there may be need for more than one given the size and expanse of Newton. The freedge is a wonderful testament to the people of this city; please don’t use it to drive more wedges than we already have.
I am mystified by the alarm at a gun shop in Newton. While I do not want a gun shop in Newton, it’s super easy to buy a gun almost anywhere in America and drive it home to Newton.
I don’t understand why the intense engagement is limited to a store as opposed to the problem of easy access to guns in America or guns being made in Massachusetts that are illegal in the State. How is this any different than profiting off of blood diamonds?
Jerry
To answer your question below: residents on the north side are sick of the NIMBYs dumping all their social engineering projects north of the pike. Yes, i called them NIMBY as it doesn’t affect their own back yards.
“I really don’t understand why it’s so important for some folks to address very real local concerns by turning each issue into an us against-our-neighbors fight.”
Lucia, I’m not defending blood diamonds but that’s a terrible comparison. Blood diamonds aren’t weapons.
I don’t understand why people are willing to allow a gun shop or firing range to open right next to a playground on Rumford or Riverview Avenue. I assume we don’t value the safety of children less if they use a recreation area on the border of the Newton city line. All of the alternative buffer zones exclude the Koutoujian Playground in Waltham. This playground abuts more than one property on Rumford Avenue in Newton, and is only 150 feet from the intersection of Rumford and Riverview Avenue. The Newton zoning ordinances take into consideration other municipalities for adult entertainment locations, so similar restrictions could be made for this type of business. It is in no way appropriate to permit a gun shop that close to a playground. The families in neighborhoods on the edge of Newton should be treated as fairly as those in the town center.
“why the intense engagement is limited to a store” – it’s not limited to just a store in Newton. Everyone recognizes this is a national problem, but their power to do anything is much larger at the local level.
A few years back, Dedham passed strict zoning for gun stores and limited their town to one location – at Legacy Place. No gun store has opened in Dedham since.
The location on North St isn’t a serious consideration since none of the buildings are completely outside of the buffers.
I’m not saying I am for or against a ban – my question is why can’t Newton ban gun stores? There are “dry” towns that ban liquor and in California there are 20 towns that ban leaf blowers. Again, not agreeing or disagreeing, just curious as to the “why.”
@Lucia, you question hits the nail on the head… why is Newton so fire up about a gun store when there are a number of them in surrounding towns?
A gun store in blue flag waving Newton, would be like wearing linen after Labor Day, or having a black sheep in the family. Heavens forbid. In many communities across America, “Republican” is a political party. Here in Newton, it’s an insult.
The gun shop debate is one in ideology and optics. And for many, the statement of an ordinance is worth sacrificing a neighborhood or two. NIMBY.
@newton runner – for the same reason there could not have been “wet” towns during prohibition. Federal law has supremacy over state and local law.
If we could live with an Adolph’s Sporting Goods in our community, we can live with a gun shop (sarcasm)
What the south side of the city has had is the majority of the house break-ins. Scary stuff. I can imagine that some home owners are seriously considering getting a gun to protect their castle. And for every burglar shot there will be how many accidental shootings and suicides?
MMQC by Blood Diamonds I mean “diamonds mined in a war zone and sold to finance an insurgency, an invading army’s war efforts, or a warlord’s activity.” Wikipedia
The main arguments I’ve heard for keeping the gun industry in MA are economic. Profits from selling guns manufactured in MA, that are banned in MA, but used in mass shootings – like Aurora, CO and Parkland, FL – to me seems like profits from selling blood diamonds.
It’s not surprising that the Rumford /Riverview area in Auburndale is the top contender for the Gun Shop after the Street in Chestnut Hill was taken off the list. There are no good spots for a gun store in Newton! What bothers me the most is that there is blatant socioeconomic disparities in keeping the Rumford site on the list.
After you drive past the dump and the commercial area you come into a neighborhood of residential homes with many families and small children which are a part of Auburndale and also abuts the Island section of Waltham. These neighborhood children attend the Burr School in Auburndale and this section is on the walking route to Burr as well as the middles schoolers and high schoolers would walk along Rumford to get to their bus stops on Lexington St. This also provides access to the Cove and walking trails which abut the Charles River. There is a beautiful little playground in the area which both Newton and Waltham residents share. A major concern is that the Children’s Charter Trauma Center and the WCI a day program for developmentally and physically delayed adults is within feet of the proposed area. In addition there is a dance studio which services children as well as adults. We need a stronger ordinance to protect these vulnerable clients of these establishments as well as the families who live there. Our neighbors in Waltham are upset since they are in the midst of our dump, the new pot shop, and now a gun shop. We can do better than this and need to take a strong stand against putting the store in this neighborhood. The area isn’t home to McMansions or the Street of Chestnut Hill, and the wealth of other areas of Newton but they don’t deserve to have this put in their midst. Make stricter ordinances and buffer zones to protect this family neighborhood.