Gun shop objections go to council for hearing
Chandler City Council members were scheduled on Nov. 6 to hear arguments involving the proposed opening of a gun store on the northwest corner of 56th Street and Chandler Boulevard.
The council was brought into the discussion after a group of parents announced they oppose the shop because of its proximity to Triple R Child Care, a pre-school in the same center.
City officials, however, say there are no zoning or other legal obstacles to The Weapons Showroom, and that they have no grounds on which to deny a business license, for which an application is currently pending.
Glen Van Nimwegen, assistant director of planning and development for the city of Chandler, said neither Planning Commission nor City Council approval is needed for the intended use.
He called the parents’ concerns a matter of “perception” rather than the reality of children being in danger from the shop, which will share some of the parking lot but face a different direction than the preschool.
Billy Biddle, the shop’s owner, declined to discuss the issue in detail but did issue a statement indicating he plans to proceed with the opening as scheduled.
“We feel that our family and personal protection business, which also involves selling firearms and providing training in their use, offers a valuable service to our community and does not pose any threat to surrounding businesses. If we felt our store was a danger to anyone, we would not open.”
