Sudbury Select Board keeps firearms zoning article on May Town Meeting warrant

SUDBURY -- April 2, 2024, Sudbury board keeps firearms zoning bylaw on May warrant in 3-2 vote. Member Lisa Kouchakdjian moved to withdraw Article 16, which would require a special permit and 250-foot setback for firearms businesses, arguing the case law on "de facto bans" is "unsettled" and the setback could be pushed to 500 or 1,000 feet. The motion failed, with Chair Janie Dretler joining her and members Daniel Carty, Charles Russo and Jen Roberts voting no. Roberts cited Planning Director Adam Burnie's mapping showing no Sudbury parcel could meet a 500-foot setback from all identified sensitive uses; Russo said the special permit, not the setback, is the "real protection." The board also unanimously approved a PILOT-continuation letter for the Sudbury Housing Authority's $3.4 million redevelopment of four single-family homes into eight duplex units, $150,000 in ARPA funds for an accessible Park and Recreation van, and $100,000 in ARPA funds for Sudbury Public Schools classroom technology.