Connecticut- Nearly 50 residents of Foxon Road showed up at a Zoning Board of Appeals meeting on Tuesday to protest a variance for a new bookstore going in. The only question remaining at the end of the night was why.

Residents rallied against the proposed bookstore, claiming that Jaime Gutes, the owner of the property at 142 Foxon Road, intended to make it a pornographic bookstore. The rumor had gained steam over the week with neighbors decrying the project and Democratic mayoral candidate Michael DeBenedet holding a meeting on the property to discuss the issue.

Gutes flatly denied the allegation that the proposed store would be selling pornographic material or that he ever had any intention to.

“We are aware of the concerns of the town and the town and we want to assure them of our intentions. We are seeking to put a restricted covenant on the land that says there will never be pornographic material sold on the site,” said Louis Crisci Jr., Gutes’s lawyer.

Cutes asked that his property receive a use variance so that he could open the store in an area zoned for residential use only. The store, according to Gutes, would sell new, used, and rare books. Gutes stated that he has been involved in book sales for the last 10 years, having previously listed on Connecticut’s list of antiquarian booksellers. He was not sure where the rumor about his proposed book store started, saying that he had only heard of the brewing controversy earlier in the week.

“From what I can gather it might be a political thing,” said Gutes. “I guess there is a candidate here who is trying to make an issue out of it.”

According to DeBenedet, he was made aware of the issue by a resident who alleged the pornographic nature of the store. DeBenedet said that residents received no communication from the parties involved and could not get any confirmation from the town about the store’s intended use. Residents expressed concerns that they were not properly notified about the variance and about the nature of the variance.

The change in zoning for use would allow that the store could sell pornography in the future, even if it changed hands. Many at the meeting cited the adult bookstore Romantix, which is also located on Foxon Avenue and originally opened as newspaper and tobacco shop. Many residents were concerned with the store’s proximity to schools and sidewalks where children passed.

Crisci’s request that the item be tabled until next month’s meeting was greeted by shouts from the assembled crowd. According to Crisci, extra time was needed in order to set up the covenant and assure the residents that the store would not sell pornographic material. Ultimately the issue was tabled with the proviso that a group of representatives would be assembled to keep the residents up to date on the subject. DeBenedet was among the appointed representatives.

“I am just glad that they are finally starting to talk to us,” said DeBenedet.