Newton Issues Stop-Work Order To Planned, Controversial Gun Store

NEWTON, MA — The city Tuesday issued a stop-work order to the owners of 709 Washington Street, where a controversial gun shop is proposed to open.

The stop-work order was issued because the store owner did not have a building permit, which is necessary to do the type of renovation work being done, according to a spokesperson for the city.

The store owner never applied for a building permit before starting the work, said Newton City Hall spokesperson Ellen Ishkanian.

In addition to a building permit, once the work is complete, an occupancy permit would also be necessary before the store could open, she said.

Read more: Residents Protest Gun Store Set To Come To Newton

The Secretary of the Commonwealth's office said someone by the name of Joseph Kammouj, of Norwood, formed Newton Firearms on Jan. 25. He declined to comment when Patch reached out.

Newton residents rally against the shop

The stop-work order issued Tuesday came as the city council is scrambling to regulate the zoning of this and future proposed gun shops in Newton, as thousands of Newton residents have asked the city to do something to regulate the zoning of such gun shops.

"Every single councilor has signed on to an item that's very specific about looking into what kind of regulations we can put on gun stores," City Councilor Rick Lipof said in a phone interview.

The Ward 8 at-large councilor and vice-president of the council estimated the council had received about 100 emails a day since Friday, the day after it came to light a gun shop was proposed for 709 Washington St.

"If I received 500 emails, 495 have been against, and five have been for the shop," he said.

There is just shy of 1,700 registered gun owners in Newton, he said. But, because of the history we are living right now, it's a bad time to open a gun shop, he said.

Lipof said between what seems like daily reports of mass shootings — a man was shot in a grocery store in New York Tuesday, half a dozen people were sent to the hospital after a mass shooting in Louisiana Monday last week a man opened fire outside a FedEx facility, to name a few.

"The downside of having guns out they are in our face in a daily basis," Lipof said. "And any reasonable person would want greater control on who ends up with a gun in their hand."

Residents say they are concerned about how a gun shop could influence the neighborhood.

"My biggest concern is the proximity to schools and a residential neighborhood, which has a lot of families with young children," said Tim Stehly who lives nearby with his pregnant wife and toddler.

"There have been studies relating to the location of [gun shops] and increases in gun related suicides," he added. "Personally, I don't think anyone in this country needs a gun, but I understand that will never happen. I don't understand why my children and all those children who go to school within a 1 miles radius of this store should sacrifice their safety, so someone can purchase a weapon."

Stehly and those like him will have a chance to watch the planning committee discuss the Monday night at their meeting.

"It's a very specific item, because we have to keep it within current regulations and current structure of gun stores in the state," Lipof said.

Lipof said he, too, would prefer not to have a gun store in Newton, for all the reasons others have expressed. But, he said, elected officials have to follow the rules and regulations in place.

"We're looking at them quickly to get as much control as possible," he said. "Everybody who is angry about this and wants to be heard, understands that we as a body just can't say 'no' legally that's just not our right."

It's up to the city council to work with the mayor with input from citizens to come up with the next steps, he said.

"I will not promise that I can make this store go away, but I will promise we can do everything in our power with its location and our regulation to make sure it's safe," he said.

The City Council referred the amendments to the Zoning and Planning Committee. That committee will hold a meeting Monday, and then a public hearing on May 10.

Jenna Fisher is a news reporter for Patch. Got a tip? She can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna). Have a something you'd like posted on the Patch? Here's how.