San Carlos buys out gun store

“We’ve worked a lot on our housing element, and we’ve targeted multifamily housing for El Camino, which is not a compatible use with a firearms store next door,” McDowell said.

Imbert & Smithers is a temporarily closed sporting goods store selling firearms, ammunition and other related merchandise since 1969 at 1144 El Camino Real near Jack in the Box. The store was forced to remove its firearms merchandise from its site at the start of the year after its federal license to sell firearms and ammunition was revoked, according to a staff report. However, it had been in negotiations with a potential firearms dealer to reopen the business at the property, although the legality of a potential reopening was in dispute, according to the report. The council agreed to approve a settlement payment with Imbert & Smithers of $390,000 payment to buy the retailer out of its lease during its June 26 meeting.

Under the proposed agreement between the city and Imbert & Smithers, the city would pay the business $390,000 in return for the business owner agreeing to abandon attempts to sell firearms at the site, vacate the premises and release any potential claims against the city. The city is setting aside $390,000 in the 2022-23 fiscal year, with $96,000 in 2023-24 and $98,000 in 2024-25 to cover the settlement and ongoing lease and maintenance costs.

In other business, the council also voted to begin the process of acquiring three parcels for affordable housing development at 1800 El Camino Real and 1131-1133 Eaton Ave. Purchasing the sites would cost about $13 million, which the city would fund with housing in-lieu fees paid by developers, according to a staff report. The 1800 El Camino Real site would cost around $9.5 million, and the Eaton Avenue parcel around $2.9 million.