The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday adopted a 45-day moratorium on new gun retailers as it investigates modifying county ordinances to restrict gun sales near schools and other public spaces.

The moratorium was approved in a 4-1 vote, with Fourth District Supervisor Bob Nelson opposed.

The proposed ordinance would establish a 1,000-foot buffer between gun retailers and public areas. Those areas would include schools and preschools, licensed childcare centers, parks, playgrounds, youth centers, child-serving facilities and houses of worship.

“These locations serve different purposes, but they share an important feature,” said Chris Henson, chief of staff for Second District Supervisor Laura Capps. “They are places where children, family and community members gather.”

The item comes weeks after public outcry over the opening of a gun store next door to a Goleta preschool and daycare facility, Here We Grow Early Learning Center.

The store, Goodland Guns, moved from its former location at 5731 Hollister Ave. to the former 7-Eleven building at 7443 Hollister Ave.

The store was granted a business license by the City of Goleta on June 4 and plans to hold a grand opening event on Saturday.

Concerned parents and community members have protested the move, citing safety concerns and demanding action from the Goleta City Council.

Goodland Guns is within the county’s Third District, represented by Supervisor Joan Hartmann.

She and Capps brought the proposed countywide buffer zone to the board, and the city is also considering zoning changes in response to the backlash.

The county ordinance would not apply to the Goleta gun store but would affect similar businesses in the county’s unincorporated areas.

“It is not a prohibition on lawful firearm commerce, and it would not close or penalize any existing lawfully operating retailers,” said Gina Fischer, Hartmann’s chief of staff.

As of now, the county is not processing any applications for new gun stores. The proposed ordinance is a proactive measure, according to Capps’ office.

The county moratorium will last for 45 days but will return to the board in October for the option of extending it until a new ordinance is written and adopted.

The pause on new gun retailers would apply to new business licenses, relocations and expansions of existing gun stores.

In addition to the buffer zone, county staff will develop a clear and consistent way to measure the zone around the protected areas.

The ordinance also would prohibit residential homes from being used as a gun retailer.

There are currently nine residential operators in the unincorporated areas, but they would be allowed to continue despite the ban, according to Capps’ office.

The county’s proposal also would require staff to develop a clear definition of what counts as a firearm retailer, as well as a map of the gun stores in the county’s unincorporated areas.

Gun retailers also would be required to acquire proper security systems, including surveillance and safeguards to protect their inventory, customers and staff.

Additionally, the stores would be required to implement safeguards to help authorities with investigations and recovery efforts after a theft.

In 2021, Goodland Guns was robbed of “numerous guns” after a break-in at its previous location. The suspect broke into the business through a hole in the side of the building.

The ordinance also would require retailers to acquire a conditional-use permit, which would require public notice and community input.

Eleanor Gartner, deputy chief of staff for Capps, said one of the complaints the supervisors heard from Goleta residents was a lack of notice beforehand.

The supervisors discussed some details of the proposed ordinance, such as whether a 1,000-foot buffer is too large, or how to define a childcare center. County staff will look into this issue and return to the board with a draft ordinance at a later date.

During public comment, speakers expressed support for the change and concern about Goodland Guns.

Ivette Peralta, the senior leadership director for Future Leaders of America, told the board that kids need a safe and supportive environment to learn and grow.

Peralta, a mother, said she supported the ordinance restricting these items near public spaces. She also urged the board to listen to teachers and parents who have firsthand experience with those areas.

“We were particularly concerned to learn about the potential firearm retailer being located next to a daycare and preschool with a playground sharing a fence line,” she said.  

Emily Lorenzana told the board that she grew up in the area and used to walk past the new Goodland Guns location on her way home from school. She said the area is not just a location on a map, but a community where people live, work, and raise their children.

Lorenzana supported the proposal, saying that it sets safety standards but does not ban lawful gun retailers from operating.

“I respectfully ask the board to consider the people who live here, the families who rely on these spaces, and the children who deserve to grow up in the community where their safety and well-being are prioritized,” Lorenzana said.

During the discussion, most of the county supervisors were supportive of the moratorium and proposed buffer zone.

Capps and Hartmann, who brought the issue to the full board, voted in favor, as did Supervisors Roy Lee and Steve Lavagnino.

Nelson voted against it. He said the discussion was a good reminder that good people can take different positions on the same issue.

“I, for one, also would have no problem having my kids go to a preschool next to a gun store, because I really do believe the best thing for a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun,” Nelson said.

He added that he knows a lot of people in the South County may disagree, but many of his constituents in the North County have the same opinion.

Capps called the proposal a measured approach that would not ban gun retailers but would address the concerns of the community.

Hartmann acknowledged that more work needs to be done before a new ordinance is adopted, but called the vote a reasonable first step.

“Moms Demand Action already noted that gun violence is the No. 1 killer of children up to 19 years old,” Hartmann said.

“That’s 10 times higher than any other developed country in the world, so, naturally, people are worried about what guns symbolize for children and children’s health, and to have them near schools and places where children learn and play is just counterintuitive. It just doesn’t make any sense.”