COPLEY TWP.: Gun advocates were up in arms this week over a proposal to forbid the sale of firearms at private residences in the township.
The three-member board of trustees voted unanimously Wednesday to continue the public hearing on the possible ban until its March 2 meeting after several opponents raised questions about the plan.
Trustee Helen Humphys said the proposal was prompted by residents’ concerns about firearms sales in a residential neighborhood.
Three opponents to the amendment, however, questioned whether the trustees had the authority to regulate firearms sales.
Humphrys agreed, saying she believed gun sales are a federal issue.
“If you don’t vote this down you are opening up a can of worms,” said Pat Mabiel, a 30-year Copley resident. He said he based his comments on a conversation with a former agent with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which oversees federal licensing.
The trustees indicated the public hearing was continued until next month so they would have the chance to consult with township attorney Irv Sugerman on whether they have the authority to approve the firearms language in the zoning amendment.
The proposed amendment also would ban commercial automobile repair and the sale of fireworks at private homes.
Township Police Chief Michael Mier, who was asked to appear before the zoning commission, said Copley has only “a handful” of federally licensed private dealers.
Mier said he works closely with the ATF, which notifies him when a dealer’s firearms license is up for renewal.
There haven’t been any problems with local private firearms deals, he said
The amendment language was reviewed by both the zoning commission and by the Summit County Planning Commission before being sent to trustees. Deliberations by both bodies are open to the public.
B.L. Farley, owner of Outdoor Specialties on Copley Road, asked that the amendment be set aside until a determination is made whether trustees have authority to regulate firearm sales.
Farley’s business sells tactical gear and equipment but no guns.
Farley said he only learned of the amendment language three hours before the trustees’ Wednesday meeting.
“I want to know how it got started, why it came up and what caused it,” he said. “I have nothing to do with guns. I have no personal axe to grind. … I don’t see a need to ban people to make an honest living. If there’s a problem, let’s get the ATF in here to clean them out.”
Local resident Mike Pritchett, a vice president of sales and marketing for a New York-based firm and a self-described “strong supporter of the Second Amendment,” said approving the firearms language would put the township “on a slippery slope.”