Dedham Residents Disagree Over Where To Allow Gun Stores

DEDHAM, MA — The Planning Board started the process of exploring changes to zoning laws for gun stores and asked for residents' suggestions at a public hearing Thursday night. The call for zoning changes came after thousands of residents objected to a proposed gun store that would be about 500 feet away from the playground at Condon Park.

J&J Arms, located at 224 Bussey St., plans to open later this month. The impending store opening is happening at a time when lawmakers are again considering stricter gun-control measures following mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. At least 31 people died. That call to lawmakers continued last month when a group of Dedham residents took to Condon Park to protest the store's opening.

Dedham doesn't have any zoning laws specific to gun shops, so the Planning Board has asked for the public's help in drafting a warrant article for November's Town Meeting to prevent such shops from opening near parks and schools in the future.

Based off recommendations from the Select Board, the Planning Board came in with a draft of a new bylaw that wouldn't allow the zoning of any gun shops in Dedham. Planning Board chair John Bethoney said the purpose of the draft wasn't to say that's what the town wants to propose, but wanted to use the draft as a guide for residents to decide where gun stores should and shouldn't be in town.

Most residents agreed a gun store shouldn't be anywhere near a school, playground or anywhere else children are likely to be. Beth Gleason has a child with special needs and said a store anywhere near a school poses a serious threat for her child as well as any teachers or other students in proximity.

"A child with special needs is not as likely to adapt well in a lock down situation ..." The sounds of gunfire would cause her to scream uncontrollably which would put herself, teachers and fellow students in jeopardy."

Others like Marisa Howard-Karp argued that living near a gun store increases the rate of suicides and that the town should look at this as a public health issue.

"This is not outside of our control," Howard-Karp said. "This is a cut and dry public health issue. This is not about the second amendment. This is about using public data to reduce risk."

Although most of the speakers agreed that zoning gun stores near schools and playgrounds is problematic, others argued there isn't an issue.

"I’ve been a gunner for 50 years," resident Francis Adams said. "Nobody (children) is going to go into this store. You have to be 21 and above."

There were a few disagreements on where gun stores in Dedham should be zoned. Some residents, including, Elizabeth Martin, suggested gun stores should be restricted to Route 1 because it's away from residential neighborhoods. But Gleason said there are neighborhoods off of Providence Highway where children with special needs preside.

Another suggestion from Anna Kijas, who helped organize the Facebook group "Dedham Gun Control Advocates," suggested gun stores only be allowed in the town's adult use overlay district, which would be away from all schools, parks, and residential neighborhoods. Martin said she liked this suggestion more than her own and others also liked Kijas' idea.

A few residents called for town officials to ban gun stores from opening anywhere in Dedham.

"We should not have any gun sales in Dedham because I don't think it’s the kind of community we want to be," Margie Kirsten said.

Kirsten said there especially shouldn't be any gun store in east Dedham and referred to the area as a "family neighborhood." She lives near the playground at Condon Park and said she wouldn't take her 6-year-old granddaughter there anymore if a gun store opens in the neighborhood.

John Piro said Newton doesn't have any gun stores and is consistently ranked one of the safest communities in the country.

"Let’s choose to not allow another mass shooting," Piro said. "Let's allow the residents of Dedham to live in peace."

Resident Robert O'Connell argued that guns are what have made the community safe and believes a ban punishes gun owners for things they didn't do. He said the U.S. was built on "guns, god and country."

"We have the privilege to stand here and talk to you because of guns because there is evil out there," O'Connell said.

The Planning Board has consulted with town counsel, which told told the board a ban would likely be challenged in federal court. According to counsel, there's no way of knowing how long a case like that would take and if the town could win because there's no precedent.

No other Massachusetts town has imposed a ban on the sale of firearms and ammunition. Planning Board members were told reasonable zoning would be much more defensible if the town were to find itself in court.

The Planning Board continued the public hearing and scheduled it for 7 p.m. Oct. 3 at Town Hall.