After a moderately heated debate between Selectmen, Gateway Gold and Pawn, located at 294 Main St., was granted renewal of its junk license.

The vote was 3-2, with Peter Teitelbaum and Patrick Tropeano against the application.

Two weeks ago, owner Dominic Cammarano came before the board with a request to renew both his junk license and his pawn license. The Selectmen declined the junk license because of errors in paperwork, but considered it a new and correct application on May 17.

"I regret to say my position would remain the same," said Teitelbaum. "This issue has come up in the past. I think we did suggest that its time to look for a new location and you agreed to leave. I welcome you to coming back in with a fresh application for an address and I will commit to voting for you if you do."

Teitelbaum reiterated what he told Cammarano two weeks ago; that it wasn't personal, but just a matter of location.

Alan Slavin defended Cammarano and his application.

"I know the gentleman has been looking, and he is trying, so to say he hasn't been is wrong, and to say that he said he'd do it that way is also wrong," said Slavin.

Selectmen Judith Whiteside and Tony Scarsciotti felt it would be wrong to deny the application when the owner had done everything that was requested of him to correct it.

Cammarano also heard an apology from Whiteside for "the way [she] handled [him] when [he] was here."

She was the only one to change her decision from two weeks ago, when the vote was 3-2 to deny the license.

To support this decision, she explained that there were many junk and secondhand stores on Main Street, so this one would not be any different.

Teitelbaum disagreed and pointed out that his main problem with the business is that people are able to walk out with cash in hand. In turn, he said, they were allowed to do whatever they want with the money, and that could include using it to buy drugs.

"There isn't any crime that's been documented that's going on over there. You can say there is, but the police reports don't prove that," said Cammarano. "I just don't believe that that's happening."

Slavin fired back at Teitelbaum for his comments, saying "to pick [Cammarano's] business saying it's a source is disrespectful."

"There's been no issue whatsoever with the police department. I believe our Cumberland Farms down the street is an example of business that's had 45 [incidents] in the same year. I believe the smoke shop has 35," said Slavin. "If we want to work on that philosophy, we have to get rid of our Cumberland Farms and smoke shop."

Along with the location and nature of the business, Tropeano had an issue with the word "pawn" still being in the name though it remained unlicensed. By the end of the meeting, Cammarano had agreed to putting a piece of cardboard over the word "pawn" on his sign.

Selectmen denied the renewal of his pawn license on May 3. Patrons are not allowed to pawn in the store anymore, but can return for their items. Cammarano said he will appeal this decision.

Cammarano has appeared before the board in the past.

In July, Selectmen ruled that the business could no longer pawn items after finding numerous errors in the application for a pawnbroker license. In August, Selectmen voted unanimously to reinstate the license, but some said they’d like to see the shop moved.

Cammarano argued his case to board members. Since opening the shop in 2010, he said there’s been no incidents or violations, except for the time police shut him down briefly after mistakenly believing he was operating without a license.