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Gun store denied permit in Alton


Dave D

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Close to where I live

 

http://www.thetelegr...esolution-fails

 

Piasa Armory gun permit resolution fails

 

ALTON — Despite Piasa Armory garnering a 4-3 City Council vote in favor of it getting a special use permit as a gun shop, the resolution failed Wednesday.

 

Corporation Counselor Jim Schrempf said the matter needed five votes in favor, including the mayor’s, to overrule the Plan Commission’s 6-1 negative recommendation.

 

Wednesday night’s vote was Mayor Brant Walker, 3rd Ward Alderman Mike Velloff, 5th Ward Alderman Charles Brake and 7th Ward Alderman David Boulds in favor.

 

Voting against the resolution to issue permit for the shop, 115 Market St., were aldermen James Ryan, 1st Ward; Carolyn MacAfee, 2nd Ward; and Alice Martin, 4th Ward.

 

Alderman Gary Fleming, 6th Ward, was absent.

 

Two representatives from Oasis Women’s Center board of directors spoke in opposition to the neighboring business having the permit. They said it would be stressful for their residents, domestic violence victims, to see people carrying gun cases.

 

The store opened in November with a business license to sell sporting goods.

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Two representatives from Oasis Womens Center board of directors spoke in opposition to the neighboring business having the permit. They said it would be stressful for their residents, domestic violence victims, to see people carrying gun cases...Did they ever think that with a gunshop that near,that maybe some of the women from the Oasis Center might want to go there,to learn how to defend themselves?I'm pretty certain it never crossed their minds.
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Earlier story on the oasis/gun shop. I just found

 

http://www.thetelegraph.com/news/news/780478/Violence-shelter-against-gun-shops-new-permit

 

The opposition, from Oasis Women’s Center board of directors, was not that a Piasa Armory customer would fire on its building, but it would be traumatic for its residents to see people leaving the shop with encased weapons, board members said.

 

At the same time, while the city’s Treasurer’s Office issued owner Eric “Scott” Pulaski a business license for a sporting goods store at 115 Market St., officials in the Alton Building and Zoning Department now say he is selling mainly firearms and needs a special use permit for a gun shop — or he may stock more sporting goods merchandise to keep the current license.

 

Pulaski, 27, who also sells targets, holsters, protective eye- and ear wear, T-shirts and ammunition, contends his merchandise is sporting-related. He also has a gunsmith cleaning and repairing firearms. Pulaski said as of Feb. 16, Piasa Armory’s 2014 revenues were $57,159, of which $47,831 was taxable and generated $3,754 in state and local sales tax revenues.

 

Matt Asselmeier, Alton deputy director of development and housing, said he would have to research how much “sporting goods” merchandise versus firearms the store would have to stock in order to qualify to operate under the current business license.

 

Asselmeier’s report to commissioners says police expressed no concerns about the placement of the business. It also says:

 

“The placement of a gun shop at this location would have minimal impact on surrounding properties and businesses provided that the existing informal parking arrangements between the businesses are maintained,” and, “Provided that the petitioner obtains all required permits, provided that the petitioner follows all applicable laws, and that the petitioner implements the plans that were presented to the city, there should be little adverse impact upon the residents of the area.”

 

The area is in the Marina Recreation District.

 

The issues sparked a 1 hour, 45-minute discussion Tuesday during the Alton Plan Commission meeting, with members eventually voting to remove the one-year limit on the proposed permit in event it passed.

 

The recommendation to issue the permit failed, though, by vote of 6-1. The only commissioner voting in favor was Anne Doucleff. Voting against were commissioners Bill Stoutenborough, Mark Hackworth, John Rain, Martha Kane, Joe Blair and Gary Doerr; Barry Clayton, Terry Dooley and Todd Harpole were absent.

 

The commission’s negative recommendation will come before the City Council for vote on Wednesday.

 

City Inspector Mike Harvey and Asselmeier went to the store after someone called regarding a Telegraph business article on Piasa Armory that ran Dec. 28. They determined it sold mainly guns.

 

Pulaski said he always had planned to move when he finds a more suitable location, and has tried to obtain two other properties without success. He previously had gotten a special use permit for one of the properties, 400 Landmarks Blvd. His current lease expires April 30.

 

Pulaski opened Piasa Armory on Nov. 29. An Eagle Scout, who still is active in scouting, Pulaski said he and some Boy Scouts gave Oasis donations from the Scouting for Food drive Nov. 16. He told commissioners that a center staff member said Oasis “had no problem” with the shop at that time.

 

Michael Meehan of Edwardsville, Oasis board member and past president, said staff members “do not speak for Oasis. The board of directors speaks for Oasis.”

 

“A gun shop is not a good fit, it is not a good use to be next to a domestic abuse shelter,” Meehan said.

 

Meehan, an attorney and former judge, said the women and children staying at Oasis do not need to look outside and see people with weapons, albeit in cases. Echoing an analogy by Stoutenborough, Meehan likened the situation to a person with a vicious canine moving next door to a dog bite victim, who is terrified of the animals.

 

“They are going to see people walking out with long guns in a case, pistols in a case; it speaks to their issue of fear,” Meehan said. “Fear is a kind of harm.”

 

Meehan said the board first discussed proximity of the shop in late January, with members voting to oppose it. Joanne Adams, vice president of the board, said there are “better locations,” and mentioned the long-vacant Alton Cine building on Homer Adams Parkway. Pulaski, though, said the site has “major accessibility issues and major structural issues” for his use.

 

The Rev. George Humbert, another board member, said he helped establish the center in 1978. While a pastor, he had counseled domestic abuse victims. “One thing alive in all of them was the ‘fear factor,’” Humbert said. “It does play in the mind and psyche of the women and children. It is my hope you get a better location.”

 

Stoutenborough wished the business well, but said he spoke with his daughter who works with domestic violence cases in Chicago.

 

“Her first response was, ‘Oh no! That would be worse than a gun shop close to a school or hospital, which is forbidden by code,’” Stoutenborough said.

 

Pulaski’s attorney, Jason Hill, said Oasis and the city also had no issues at first with the store. He questioned if the shelter should relocate to a quieter area away from pawn shops, the casino and taverns.

 

Employee Melissa Mike of Jerseyville, also a Grafton police officer, said anyone wishing harm on the Oasis residents could use any number of types of weapons, including fists, and they could buy a gun at a pawn shop or a Downtown store located within 1,000 feet of Oasis — or at an area Wal-Mart.

 

“Wal-Mart people handle guns behind the counter don’t have the experience Scott has,” Mike said. “Are they afraid to go to Wal-Mart? The world is a scary place and there are many weapons other than a gun.”

 

George Tucker of Bethalto, representing landlord Thomas Blake, noted that there is no signage other than on the glass door.

 

“They don’t notice it, it’s just a building,” Tucker said. “If they go there, they know it is there. The city gets taxes on what they (Piasa) sell.”

 

Commissioners also laid over a request from Blake for three months, for the second time at his request, depending on Pulaski’s plans. Blake is seeking a special use permit for a duplex at that property, which also would require the City Council to add “duplex” to the list of uses within the Marina Recreation District in Alton City Code.

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So I went to the Alton Ordinance page to see exactly where that "rule" exists. Found it under Title 2, Chapter 2 (Plan Commission)

 

2-2-7: SUPER MAJORITY VOTE REQUIRED:

 

It shall take a favorable vote of five (5) members of the city council to amend, supplement, change or repeal, by ordinance, the boundaries of the districts or the regulations hereinestablished in either of the following instances:

 

 

 

A. In the event the city plan commission recommends a negative vote on a proposed amendment to any portion of this title.

 

B. In case of a written protest against any proposed change in the classification of land, signed by the owners of forty percent (40%) of the lots proposed to be rezoned, or signed by the owners of forty percent (40%) of the lots any part of which are included within the area defined by a line extended two hundred fifty feet (250') outward in all directions from the perimeter of the land sought to be rezoned, filed with the city clerk of Alton prior to the commencement of the city council meeting on which a vote on the proposed rezoning is taken. The protest document need not be acknowledged, but shall bear the signatures and common street addresses of those signing such document, and identify the property which each signatory owns. For purposes of this section, the perimeter of the subject lot shall be considered to be the property line of the lot of land, excluding any land within a public dedicated right of way, and excluding any land lying within a railroad right of way; the owner of property shall be considered to be any of the following: the record owner of the fee simple title, the contract seller and the contract buyer of such property. (Ord. 6817, 6-9-2004)

 

Boy aren't we glad the pantywetters "saved the chilrens", especially those working at an establishment that likely pays no taxes.
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Thanks for the links, Dave.... Wow... What a mess...

 

Personally, I don't think it is a good idea for a gun owner to be on the board of a woman's crisis center. Can you imagine the trauma that a domestic violence victim would experience if she learned that one of the people she turned to for help was actually a gun owner..????!!!!

Two members of Oasis’ board of directors, Vice President Joanne Adams of Godfrey and Michael Meehan of Edwardsville, spoke in opposition to the shop’s location.

“I don’t think having a gun shop next door to a battered women’s shelter is a good idea,” said Adams, who said she is a gun owner.

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It just makes me sick that a next door business can object to a law abiding neighboring business . What if the patrons of the gun store didnt like the fact that there were abused people walking in and out of the business next door ? I dont mean to disrespect abuse victims but give me a break.
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I've met Scott at Piasa to check out the shop and drop off some No Guns No Money cards. He's a genuinely nice guy and he knows his stuff. I doubt he will take his business away from Alton like most feel he should. It blows me away that a city like Alton would rule in favor of a business that generates ZERO tax revenue, and against a profitable income generating business.

 

If guns in boxes/cases (and my 2nd Ammendment right) offend you, and you want me to move my business. Then the gay bar next to my gun shop has to move because the homosexual displays of affection offend my customers, even though it doesn't offend me.

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Here is the letter written By Scott to Illinois gun owner rights. Posting so that there will be no more assumptions, Because we know what happens when we assume!

 

536814_507870072628485_890260131_a.jpg

 

Illinois Gun Owners Rights

Received this from Scott over at Piasa Armory in Alton who needs our help. Take a minute to read Scott's letter to us and the attached articles. If you can take a minute to reach out to the alderman below it could make a difference. As always be polite, courteous, and just be factual. Thanks!

 

 

"Hello, my name is Scott Pulaski and I would like to bring to your attention a situation that my company, Piasa Armory (pie-uh-saw for those of you not from the area), has found itself in. On November 29, 2013, we opened for business at 115 Market Street in Alton, Illinois. At the time, we planned to be at that location for 3-6 months while we established ourselves and looked for a location to build a shooting range. As can happen with businesses, our plans are taking longer than expected. When we moved in, the City of Alton indicated that we could operate under a business license for a “sporting goods” store even though the zoning requires a special permit for gun shops. Due to our change of plans, we decided to pursue the permit to officially become a gun shop in late December. We began receiving info from the city that our neighbors, a shelter for victims of domestic violence, were opposed to our permit.

 

This came as quite a surprise as we had spoken to the employees there and they saw no issues with having a store that caters to law abiding citizens next door. We then learned that the board of directors, rather than the staff that assists clients of the shelter on a daily basis, were the ones opposed to us. City procedure requires that permits go before an advisory committee before heading to the city council. During the committee meeting, the board members of the shelter lined up one emotional argument after another with no basis in fact, citing everything from fear of gun cases to likening our business to a person with a vicious dog moving next door to a dog bite victim. Thanks to these baseless arguments, the committee voted to send a negative recommendation to the city council.

 

During our time before the city council, we again heard the same emotionally driven anti-gun arguments play out from the members of the shelter board. Again thanks to those arguments, we lost our request for a permit by one vote.

 

What does this mean for us? At the moment, we are still allowed to sell firearms and other related products. If we cannot change the mind of the city council, we will be forced to either stock a wider variety of sporting goods (fishing gear, basketballs, etc…) in our already cramped space, or leave the place that we call home (albeit temporary) in hopes of finding another suitable space.

 

Please help us out by contacting the city aldermen that opposed a law abiding, professional establishment and let them know how you feel. The votes against us were from Jim Ryan (the alderman of the ward we are located in), Carolyn MacAfee, and Alice Martin. Those for us were Mayor Brant Walker, Michael Velloff, Charles Brake, and David Boulds. Gary Fleming was absent. You can find their contact info here: http://www.alton-il.com/content.cfm?page=mayorcouncil

 

Help us to overcome a thinly veiled anti-gun, fear based agenda wrapped in emotion driven arguments."

 

Below are some links to stories about our situation, including a gross misrepresentation of the facts by a local TV station, KMOV.

http://thetelegraph.com/news/news/780478/Violence-shelter-against-gun-shops-new-permit

http://thetelegraph.com/news/news/802788/Piasa-Armory-gun-permit-resolution-fails

http://www.kmov.com/news/just-posted/Neighbors-disapprove-of-Alton-sporting-goods-stores-weapon-sales-247666521.html

 

Thank you,

 

Scott Pulaski

Manager

Piasa Armory

115 Market St.

Alton, IL

(618) 433-AR15 (2715)

scott@piasaarmory.com

http://www.piasaarmory.com

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Two representatives from Oasis Womens Center board of directors spoke in opposition to the neighboring business having the permit. They said it would be stressful for their residents, domestic violence victims, to see people carrying gun cases...Did they ever think that with a gunshop that near,that maybe some of the women from the Oasis Center might want to go there,to learn how to defend themselves? I'm pretty certain it never crossed their minds.

 

Redlin - they probably DID think about that. After all, if these DV victims learned to defend themselves, they would have less need for the Women's Center, right? The Center has to justify their existence somehow! :laugh:

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When you drive into Alton, there is most likely a sign "rack" that will display the logos for the Lion's Club, the Knights of Columbus, the Rotary Club, the Free Masons, and the Moose Club. Look closely for a sign like this:

 

http://austindailyherald.com.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/zonta.jpg

 

But it should be yellow and black.

 

That is a sign for Zonta:

 

https://www.zonta.org/

 

They are an anti-violence against women organization.

 

At one point, they appeared to be in cahoots with the Violence Prevention Center. In turn, the VPC appeared to be basically a branch of the Brady Campaign.

 

Alsi, the VPC had teamed up with the National Alliance of Stocking Gun Dealers (or Association) to close that dreaded "gunshow loophole".

 

And naturally your brick and mortar gunstores don't want the competition from basement or kitchen table FFL's. As far as I can tell, the NASGD has faded away.

 

So my best guess is the BoD from Oasis also happen to be members of Zonta.

 

 

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I did not read all of this, but if it is not zoned correctly for use as a store selling guns, then a special use permit would be required. If the zoning IS compatible with the intended use, then it is time for the lawsuit.

The point of zoning laws is to give predictability to purchasers and lessees of property so they are not subject to the whims of a vote. Accusations of unfair trade, etc can run rampant if things are not handled in a fair and even manner.

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I did not read all of this, but if it is not zoned correctly for use as a store selling guns, then a special use permit would be required. If the zoning IS compatible with the intended use, then it is time for the lawsuit.

The point of zoning laws is to give predictability to purchasers and lessees of property so they are not subject to the whims of a vote. Accusations of unfair trade, etc can run rampant if things are not handled in a fair and even manner.

 

Yeah, there's that.

 

Then there are tax assessment purposes.

 

One gun club I am a member of had the forestry guy come out and they got approved for a program to plant more trees. This dropped their real estate tax assessment to 1/6th of whatever farmland gets taxed at.

 

The other gun club I am a member of that actually is in financial dire straits could care less about the same program when I brought it up at a meeting.

 

But anyway....back on topic....

 

I thought the original Piasa gunshop was above the gas station/C-store at that one "harbor" or boat dock .

 

 

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Hmm so if a church wants to open near me can I petition city council to stop it due to being traumatized by members of a church when I was young?

 

It's hypothetical, but you see the point, especially after their comment about someone moving in with a dog when a neighbor had been a dog bite victim.

 

So much for personal property rights.

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The email makes it sound worse. He clearly seems to be skirting the edge of what his original license allows him to do. Admitting that in writing seems like a not all that bright kind of move.

 

What the employees or the BOD of the women's shelter thinks is probably not as important as that he just does not have a license to run a gun shop and likely can't get one for that location.

 

No different than if he had a license for a convenience store and tried to morph it into a liquor store by claiming he was also selling peanuts and chips along with the liquor.

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