Glen Cove Guns & Ammo, a new shop at 44 B Glen St., on the same block as a children’s play cafe, has drawn concern from residents and state Assembly Member Charles Lavine.
“The presence of that business in that location reflects badly on the City of Glen Cove,” Lavine said.
The Assembly Member said Glen Street is a central downtown location intended for children and families—not a gun shop. A store of this kind would have been more appropriate on the outskirts of town.
He said that based on his experience on the Glen Cove Planning Board and Glen Cove City Council, the business has likely been in the process of opening for months.
A man who answered the phone at the store said the store had complied with all the city’s requirements.
“We did all we needed to do,” said the man who asked that his name be withheld. “We satisfied their needs.”
The store’s owner was identified in a published report as William Laing.
The person who answered the phone said, “We follow all the protocols,” regarding state and federal regulations.
“The ‘guns & ammo’ store will not provide a welcoming environment for any new retail interests intended to appeal to youngsters and young families and will in fact subsequently inhibit the development of any such highly desired commercial interests,” Lavine said In a letter to the mayor and council members.
The Glen Cove City Council did not notify the public about the store’s opening or hold a public hearing.
“The fact that there was no public hearing, the fact that the public was kept in the dark, is truly problematic,” Lavine said.
The store’s opening was not on the council’s agenda for the Aug. 26 council meeting, which meant that residents had to sit through the meeting until approximately 11:00 p.m. to voice their concerns during the discussion.
Glen Cove Mayor Pam Panzenbeck said residents were limited to three minutes to speak “because it’s late.”
“What I’m here for has nothing whatsoever to do with the Second Amendment,” said Barbara Kirby Dubin. “But all of a sudden, a store shows up in the middle of Glen Street, right next to a little girls’ play store.”
Dubin, who said she has resided in Glen Cove for 50 years, said that previous sporting goods stores in the city sold guns but did not advertise “Guns & Ammo” in their windows.
“We all better keep our fingers crossed and pray that this doesn’t result in a tragedy like this one,” she said, holding up a copy of Newsday‘s coverage of the murder-suicide.
Having signage advertising guns and ammunition is worrisome, she said.
“We had movie stores in town with dirty movie sections. It didn’t say that on the sign on the store,” Dubin said.
“So anyone who wants a gun, who wasn’t arrested for committing a violent act previously, can come to our lovely city—that I truly love—purchase a gun from someone who has no connection here and even get it delivered on the same day,” Dubin said.
City Council Member Danielle Fugazy Scagliola said she understood residents’ concerns.
“It’s really about what kind of downtown we want to be, in my opinion,” she said.
Panzenbeck said that the city council is working on changing the signage in the shop.
“We’re working on that through our building department,” Panzenbeck said. “But it is permitted use.”
“As many people as don’t support it,” Panzenbeck said. “It has support as well.”
When called, the man who answered the phone for the shop said “Glen Cove Gun Store” as a greeting.
Resident Kathy Rudy attended the meeting to voice concerns over ammunition storage.
“The storage of the ammunition, what’s on-site, what’s on the premises. I mean, this is a concern for the whole community and the safety of everybody,” she said.
Panzenback said the store’s owner keeps the ammunition in secure locations. She said council members had gone to the store to meet the owner in person, but he was absent. The council has not yet been inside the store.
Rudy expressed concerns about the store’s proximity to a children’s playroom.
“Maybe this is something that could also be discussed at the board of zoning,” she said. “We want to put [the store] how many feet away from businesses that attract children or families or whatnot?”
Council Member Marsha Silverman said that moving forward, the council has discussed requiring stores like these to obtain a special use permit.
“I personally felt like it was something that [the city council members] should have had notice of. It’s not just like a regular store opening in your town,” Fugazy Scagliola said.
In his letter to the council, Lavine requested the Glen Cove City Charter to create “gun-store free zones.”
Panzenback said the store’s owner is willing to “work with” the council to change signage and sell sporting equipment in addition to guns and ammunition.
