The debate over gun rights is now shining its spotlight on Redwood City.
The city council on Monday night approved the extension of a ban on gun shops in that city -- it’s a move that has some groups considering legal action.
Public input was decidedly in favor of extending the current 45-day ban on new gun shops in Redwood City another 10 and a half months.
City leaders say it’s a land use issue.
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“Redwood City, like most cities, regulates everything from where you can locate a multi-family home to where you can get a massage to where you can buy cannabis and so we think firearms and ammunition would be no different,” said Mayor Giselle Hale.
The controversy began when an application came in to open a gun shop at Roosevelt Plaza. It’s a plaza near schools, in a city that currently has no gun shops. But neither of those should play any role in this situation, according to the manager of Roosevelt Plaza.
“Local government is meddling in issues it shouldn't be meddling in and trying to use zoning and planning laws against things they don’t like,” said plaza manager Maria Rutenburg. “They spend their time moralizing us rather than taking care of what city halls usually care for: potholes, and other things.”
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Rutenberg said there are numerous state and federal laws that address who can enter a gun store and who can buy a gun, etcetera.
The city council voted to extend the current moratorium on gun shops into October of next year so it can, among other things, study zoning changes, take public input and consider additional regulations.
One group keeping a close eye on these developments is Second Amendment Federation-they have taken legal action against municipalities nationwide in related cases, and they’re threatening legal action in this case as well.
But Hale says the city is on strong legal grounds if a lawsuit questions the need for an extension of this emergency ordinance.
“Redwood City takes the health and safety of his children very seriously, and the National Institutes of Health has said that gun violence is the leading cause of death among children,” said Hale.
