Lynchburg council approves amended conditional-use permit to allow firearm sales at Campbell Avenue pawn shop

Lynchburg City Council on April 8 approved an amendment to a previously issued conditional use permit (CUP) for a pawn shop at 2811 Campbell Avenue that removes a prohibition on firearms sales and extends daily hours by 30 minutes.

The measure, presented at a public hearing, passed unanimously with a recorded vote noted as "The motion passes. 5 0. 2 absent." The council closed the public hearing before voting.

City planning staff explained the property has been zoned R-3 (medium-density residential) since 1978 and that small retail uses in existing structures built before that year have previously been allowed through administrative flexibility in the zoning code. Staff said the Board of Zoning Appeals approved an earlier permit in 2014 that set conditions including a prohibition on pawning firearms.

A representative for the petitioner, identified in the hearing as the owner of King Pawn, told council the business had operated under a firearms license issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) since 2021 and that the current owner had purchased the business in 2020. The petitioner said they were unaware of the CUP restriction until December 2024, then applied to amend the CUP and described security measures, annual internal firearm audits, nightly uploads of pawned items to an LEADS-compatible database, and coordination with law enforcement.

The petitioner said the requested change would set operating hours to "making our hours 09:30 to 05:30" and argued that regulated pawn-shop transactions provide traceability that informal private transfers lack.

Council members who moved and seconded the motion said the amendment was intended to correct a conflict between city conditions and the store's federal licensing. No one in the hearing spoke in favor from the public, and staff reported receiving no voicemails in favor or opposition prior to the meeting. After a short exchange, the council voted to adopt the amendment.

The council record indicates the pawn shop has held an ATF license since 2021 and that the prior CUP conditions—established in 2014—had prohibited firearms sales at this location. The planning staff advised the proposed changes should have limited impact on the surrounding area and noted the property’s long history of retail use.

Council did not attach additional conditions on security beyond those described by the petitioner in the public hearing. The amended CUP and any resulting changes to signage or operating procedures will be administered by the city’s planning division.

Sources: City planning staff presentation and petitioner remarks provided during the April 8, 2025 public hearing.