Zoning rules adopted on July 28th restrict Washington, DC firearms dealers to high-density downtown commercial areas and keep gun stores at least 200 yards from residences, churches, schools, libraries, and parks, writes Michael Neibauer in today’s Washington Examiner. The emergency regulations, adopted by the D.C. Zoning Commission at the request of the D.C. Office of Planning, will be in effect for 120 days, and will be revisited at a public hearing of the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) on September 29th.
The C-3-C, C-4, and C-5 Zone Districts consist of the downtown core area, dowtown Pennsylvania Avenue and downtown Massachusetts Avenues in the Northwest quadrant, and several blocks of Southwest (excluding the waterfront). The zoning map is here. Firearms dealers will be restricted to sale of firearms and accessories, so don’t look for revolvers at a downtown CVS.
Federal facilities are not within the purview of the local government, so perhaps Congressman Mark Souder (R, IN-3) can arrange for gun sales in the U.S. Capitol Historical Society Gift Shop (now in the U.S. Capitol Crypt), the Library of Congress shops ( in the Jefferson Building), and in all those Smithsonian Shops.
Image: Mike Licht’s conception of purveyor of fine firearms. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
NotionsCapital 
August 18, 2008 at 9:51 am
Maybe you should quit with your gun bloging, Mike. Your Ignorance of Federal Law on legal sale of firearms, plus your prejudice on the issue is fairly shameful.
Also your habit of locking comment threads shows the willful nature of your ignorance.
August 18, 2008 at 11:57 am
Weer’d Beard: Believe me, I hesitate to post about DC gun issues; the comments are so tiresome.
I use hyperlinks to past stories which contain links to news and legal sources outside this blog. US newspapers never link outside their own archives, so I’m doing better than they are. I do not assume that other readers have read previous posts.
This post is about is not about Federal law. It is about local District of Columbia zoning laws for retail firearms establishments. DC has no gun stores, and several Supreme Court Justices want them.
Local law. Heard of it?
August 18, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Truth, heard of it?
Nope you have ONE gun shop (Type 01 FFL) in the District, but the permit is in the midst of the renewal process due to a recent change of address. This dealer untill the change in laws from Heller delt strictly with Police, and security contractors that were exempted from DC’s Unconstitutional laws. So there was no MARKET for more shops….and because so many showed support for Mr. Heller et al, but so few registered guns, there IS a market now.
Of course what you always ignore is that DC’s local law is ILLIGAl in the United States, and continues to be so.
Also what difference does it make WHERE a shop that sells products with restrictions is? Shouldn’t the zonings for shops that sell tobacco or alcohol be enugh? Espeshally considering all the requirements imposed on the BATFE on 01 FFLs (I’m sure you’re aware of them so you can write responcible posts on the issue).
As always I stand by for locked comments or you posting non-sequitors to avoid actully discussing the issue.
August 18, 2008 at 1:49 pm
See what a snore this is?
Beard — we had one Federally-licensed dealer, who let his Federal license expire. While I know you are passionately concerned about that — planning to move here? — that is not what this post is about.
Registered DC security guards are allowed to carry revolvers at their job sites, unconcealed, with permits displayed, and cannot take them home. Ask Mr. Heller, who is registered to carry such a firearm at work. I posted about that and linked to the regs, but you hate it when I hyperlink to past posts, so you can look it up yourself.
You think there are not restrictions about where booze can be sold here? Bet your town has zoning regs about that, too.
Given the record of gun shop break-ins in surrounding Virginia and Maryland, DC officials want to be sure that Washington gun retailers are located in highly-policed areas.
I lock comment threads when the posts are overcome by events. I got tired of directing commmenters to more recent posts. For example, Dick Heller just got DC registration approval for a revolver, but you are too busy adding irrelevant comments to know it.
P.S.: is “Espeshally” some obscure section of Federal firearms regs? Whatever. Not relevant, pertinent, germane.
August 18, 2008 at 3:08 pm
Hhehehehe tap dance around the issue all you want, and insult me all you want. You’re ignorant and bised on the subject and are actully proud of it.
BTW in the last thread you locked you locked the thread after hijacking it on the issue of your congressonal representation. What “event” “overcame” that one?
BTW, feel free to fling more insults, or lock this up, its your blog, you can run it as ignorantly as you wish.
August 18, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Weer’d Beard: As I recall, your ignorance of local DC law and government, and the Federal-District relationship became tiresome.
But I’m curious. I post at least twice a day on weekdays, daily on weekends. I have done so for over a year. Just how long do you think I should I keep comments live?
August 18, 2008 at 6:17 pm
Before locking them? Never! Simple as that (of course I consider it quite reasonable to delete any posts that are considered to be trolling or obscene)
But of course if you tire of the discussion nothing forces you to reply to all of them. But of course I just checked the logs, you locked the post after two days…meanwhile this post is a few days old and left open. I detect pure misdirection….you’ve been had old chap!
But not to allow this topic to be misdirected, which DC laws am I ignorant of in relation to this issue?
August 18, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Weer’d Beard Says: . . . if you tire of the discussion nothing forces you to reply to all of them.
WB: I feel a duty to several hundred daily readers, who must tire of it, too.
As to DC laws, you seem entirely oblivious to the fact that DC has a local elected government, a half-million tax-paying citizens, and a municipal code.
August 18, 2008 at 7:45 pm
….and a US Constitution they swear to defend…. you keep ignoring that point…
March 5, 2011 at 9:10 am
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