No silver bullet was found at the Goleta City Council’s Tuesday meeting.
The City Council was unaware of a gun store’s signing of a long-term lease at 7443 Hollister Ave, opposite a daycare center and preschool. But now, it’s trying to figure out a way to regulate firearm sales and possibly relocate the shop.
“We’re not trying to eliminate guns or anything of that sort,” said Councilmember Stuart Kasdin, who represents District 4. “It’s really just finding where it fits best.”
Dozens of people showed up at Goleta City Hall Tuesday to talk about the gun store and its perceived impact on nearby schools and neighborhoods. The city is considering amending its existing zoning laws and business license processes.
The council took no formal action, but signaled that they are targeting a change.
The council will meet later this month to discuss the specifics of a moratorium that, if approved, would temporarily halt new gun shop approvals in Goleta.
Goodland Guns secured a long-term lease for 7443 Hollister Avenue in July, replacing a former 7-Eleven store. The store moved from Old Town Goleta and is set to hold its grand opening this week.
The gun shop shares a fence with the Here We Grow Early Learning Center, a daycare center and preschool. It’s also down the road from Ellwood Elementary School and near a bike lane that students take on the way to school.
Some public commenters urged the City Council to issue an emergency ordinance to prevent future gun stores from opening near other schools. Others criticized the options up for consideration, arguing that placing regulations on gun shops would violate the Second Amendment.
Goodland Guns’ owner Dan Ashton, who attended the meeting, said the public outcry and proposed regulations are an attack against his business.
“More regulation is only going to soothe those complaining and attempt to save your seats in political office,” he said.
‘Nonconforming’
Concerned parents and neighbors condemned Goodland Guns’ relocation over the past few weeks, arguing that it could put children in harm’s way. The Goleta Union School Board responded by passing a resolution Aug. 20 that urged city officials to establish 1,000-foot buffers.
The frenzy around Goodland Guns has also drawn attention at the county. In a 4-1 vote Tuesday, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors approved a 45-day moratorium for new gun shop approvals.
Additionally, the county directed staff to draft a proposed ordinance for a buffer that would bar gun shops from occupying storefronts 1,000 feet within schools. The county’s changes, however, only apply to gun shops across the unincorporated county.
While Goleta currently regulates the storage of firearms and the unlawful discharge of guns near schools, parks and beaches, the city doesn’t have any provisions related to firearm sales, according to a city report.
Gun shops are classified as “general retail” stores under city codes, which allows them to operate in specific commercial districts as long as they acquire a business license.
But if the City Council moves forward in amending certain zoning laws, it could result in Goodland Guns becoming a “nonconforming” use—meaning it could shutter after a series of legal steps are taken.
Buffers, public noticing requirements
Kasdin, whose district encompasses Goodland Guns, said he doesn’t want the shop to face any consequences. He wants to work with Ashton to find Goodland Guns a “more suited” location in Goleta.
“It seems like it would be in everyone’s interest to enable them to move to that other location,” he said.
Kasdin took interest in using Goleta’s existing ordinance for cannabis businesses as a guide for the gun shop regulations. The ordinance includes different buffer distances for certain sensitive uses—600 feet for schools and 100 feet for residential areas—and are modeled off of the spatial layout of the city.
Councilmember Luz Reyes-Martín, who represents District 1, agreed. She suggested the Planning Commission study a proposed maximum of 1,000-foot buffers.
Amending the city’s zoning laws requires the Planning Commission to review any proposals before it returns to the City Council for a vote.
Councilmember James Kyriaco, who represents District 2, said he wants to consider removing barriers for gun stores to operate in industrial zones instead of commercial zones.
Implementing buffers for sensitive uses such as schools is another priority, he said. Kyriaco noted the need to consider small family daycares, which operate their businesses out of their homes.
“As long as you’re going to allow people to sell guns as a business,” he said, “you need to find a way to plan as a community for where that type of business should be.”
The council should also consider introducing a public noticing requirement for gun stores in its business licensing processes, Luz Reyes-Martín said.
Amending the city’s business licensing codes would be a faster route, as it would go straight to the City Council for a vote.
“If we can accomplish that through the business license process,” she said, “I think that does respond to one of the most persistent public feedback we’ve gotten.”
