Waterbury's Board of Education was in a position on Thursday afternoon to oppose a new business at its meeting on Thursday night, a gun business.
The building at 546 South Main Street in Waterbury is in an area zoned for commercial land use and the owner has approvals from city and state authorities to sell guns.
However, some Board of Education members had objected, with hundreds of children attending Maloney Interdistrict Magnet School two and a half blocks away, and the Waterbury Adult Education facility even closer.
The huge Shrine of Saint Ann, with its green dome and twin towers, stands between the schools and the business.
Still, Carlos Lagos said he had heard shots in the area a couple of months ago and as a father, he wants a safe neighborhood.
"I think this is not something good for the community, especially for this area. I know there's a lot of drug dealers," he said.
But others who live nearby said a gun business just won't be a problem.
Local
"You gotta have a permit and all that," said Rick Jones, "you gotta go through all the legal requirements, so it ain't gonna be like selling guns to anybody."
