New gun store on Glen Street spurs debate

Glen Cove Guns & Ammo, a new store at 44 Glen St., has ignited a heated debate among residents and city officials who are concerned about its location near family-oriented businesses, such as Madeline’s Playhouse. The shop’s opening earlier this month raised questions about the impact it may have on the community.
The controversy came to a head at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, at which residents and officials voiced their shock at the store’s sudden appearance. Barbara Dubin, a longtime Glen Cove resident, said that her concerns were not rooted in opposition to the Second Amendment, but rather focused on the potential impact of having a gun shop so prominently located in the heart of downtown.
“All of a sudden, a store shows up in the middle of Glen Street, right near a little girls’ play store, with big black stick letters that say ‘Guns & Ammo.’ I was shocked,” she said. “Partly because I’ve always been told that the city government, especially this one, is very strict about signage, and that sign was particularly awful.”
Dubin went on to draw a provocative comparison between the gun shop and a hypothetical porn shop, suggesting that while society is generally more accepting of guns than pornography, the latter has never caused physical harm.
“You don’t need a background check to watch ‘Deep Throat,’” Dubin added. “. . . So anyone who wants a gun, who wasn’t arrested for committing a violent act previously, can obviously come to our lovely city, purchase a gun from someone who has no connection here, and even get it delivered on the very same day.”

Mayor Pamela Panzenbeck responded to Dubin’s remarks by acknowledging the problematic nature of the store’s signage, and assuring that it would be changed, while insisting that she and the council had been blindsided by the store’s opening. She said that while the store’s presence was technically permitted under zoning laws, the manner in which it opened — without prior notice to the City Council and with non-compliant signage — was concerning.
Scott Grupp, director of the city Building Department, said that the store had not been issued a Certificate of Completion for its build-out, which is typically required before an establishment can open.
“There were certain things I didn’t care for, and certain things that they also needed, like additional lights,” Grupp explained. He noted that the shop’s owner, William Laing, has been cooperative in addressing these issues, but Grupp acknowledged that the process had been unusual. “In today’s merchandising, sometimes it doesn’t happen that way,” he added, referring to the store’s abrupt opening.
Grupp added that Laing’s intention was to eventually operate more like a sporting goods store. Currently, Laing is only using about one-third of the space he has leased, which Grupp said will allow for inventory expansion.
Laing lives in Queens, but opened the store in Glen Cove because of his familiarity with the area when he was a general contractor. He has never owned a gun shop before.
“We service responsible law-abiding gun owners,” he told the Herald in an interviewed in the store. “A lawful gun owner is like the salt of the earth. Guns have been given a bad rap in our culture, especially in New York City. I’m just happy that I could provide the service to lawful gun owners. I hope to dispel the myths that guns are bad.”
Before Tuesday’s meeting, Councilwoman Danielle Fugazy Scagliola told the Herald that she would prefer that the business operate as a sporting goods store with guns rather than a guns-and-ammunition retailer. She said that while businesses have a right to operate, she was not in favor of this kind of business operating downtown.
“I’m upset a store was allowed to open without proper permitting,” Fugazy Scagliola said. “I don’t understand how that happened, considering our Building Department started working on this in March. I’m also upset that that council was not informed this type of store was opening in our downtown.”
Residents responded to a Facebook poll the Herald conducted asking about the new store.
“I have been very upset about the gun store opening in town,” an anonymous user said. “We have a school aged child and the thought of more guns around here terrifies me. I think it just increases the possibility of the gun going into a disturbed teens hands. Since seeing everyone’s views on this topic on the neighbors page, we have been thinking of moving to a community that more shares our values.”
But the majority of respondents were in favor of the store.
“I really do not enjoy driving 30 minutes to buy ammo for my rifles/handguns,” Thomas Michael Jr. posted. “I believe we should also have local classes at the range to help those who are interested in purchasing one and how to safely store them in their homes.”