Gun-repair shop sparks controversy

By Jeanne Starmack

CAMPBELL — The city police’s union is objecting to a zone change for a new gun-repair shop.

Michael Erdek of Hubbard wants to open the shop in property he owns at 120 Robinson Road.

At a public hearing Tuesday, Lodge 42 of the Fraternal Order of Police officially objected to rezoning the property from commercial to light industrial so the shop could move in.

Officer John Gulu, secretary-treasurer of the lodge, said it met Friday and discussed the plan for the shop.

“We don’t need this in our city,” he said. “We being an understaffed police department ... a gun store is not appropriate for our city.”

Michael Erdek Sr., also of Hubbard, said that the business won’t be a store.

“It’s a repair shop. If anything, he’ll repair your guns,” he told Gulu.

Erdek described his business as a “closed-door” company that will not be open to the public. He said he’ll conduct sales through the Internet and gun shows.

He said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms has inspected the premises and has approved his license pending the zone change.

Erdek, who will conduct the business out of a four-car garage on the property, said he has a commercial security system with motion sensors, steel doors and padlocks. He said there is also a vault on the premises.

Erdek said there is a house on the property, but he will not live there. He added he plans to move there eventually.

After the public hearing, the issue goes to the council. It will have three readings, then council will vote on it, said council President William Van Such.

Council members who were present at the hearing said that before the zone change is brought to the floor, they want to have more time to investigate the FOP’s concerns, and they want to visit the property.

“I want to see the gun safe,” said council member Bryan Tedesco.

Because the council members requested extra time, the zone change likely will not come to the floor at council’s Nov. 4 meeting, Van Such said.