A growing business here is setting its sights on yet another expansion after council approved a zoning amendment for Grech Outdoors Inc. at its meeting March 4.
It’s the third time John Grech and Ellen McGaghey have moved to meet demand for the gunsmithing business which started up in the community in 2006 selling firearms, hunting and fishing supplies and offering limited gunsmithing services.
By 2009 the couple had relocated the business to a larger store on the main street to focus more on the gunsmithing service rather than the retail end.
In January they purchased a property at 115 Fergus Street South, a block over from main street, to further enlarge the gunsmithing service. The building offers the new owners 2,000 square feet for gunsmithing work space and about 400 square feet of retail space.
“The gunsmithing component has grown exponentially,” McGaghey told council Monday evening. “This is the building we found that suited our requirements.”
With the smaller retail space, McGaghey said, “We’d like to eliminate the drop-in traffic.”
She told council if the couple’s bid to change the zoning was unsuccessful they would have to consider relocating to another community.
“We would like to stay,” McGaghey added.
County planner Linda Redmond said the zoning amendment would allow for a gunsmithing business in an area designated as a mix of commercial and residential.
“It (the gunsmithing business) didn’t quite fit (the current zoning) hence the need for a zoning amendment,” Redmond told council.
The planner also made a slight amendment to the zoning that would prohibit a firing or gun range on the property and prohibit any outdoor sales.
McGaghey said there are no plans for a gun range and regulations governing gun ranges would never permit it.
Councillor Sherry Burke said she had been approached by a couple of residents concerned about a possible gun range on the property and said those residents were satisfied when they heard a range would not be permitted.
The owners also assured council the building will be secure, after councillor Andy Lennox asked about security for the business.
Council approved the amendment.
“It’s a good fit in that particular building,” Mayor Ray Tout said of the concrete building that has served as an outlet for contractors in the past. “To hear of a business that has to increase for the third time because of business, that’s good News.”
