Planning and Zoning Commission approves appointment-only firearm transfer permit for Brandon resident

Brent Adams, a Brandon resident at 408 Tamarack Avenue, told the Planning and Zoning Commission he seeks a Federal Firearms License to conduct appointment-only firearm transfers from his home as a small, retirement-era enterprise. Adams told the commission he has met with the ATF, installed safes and a camera system and expects only limited on-hand firearms, saying, “I’m not gonna have inventory.”

The commission heard multiple neighbors raise safety and land-use concerns. “My biggest concern with this is just having retail in a very residential neighborhood,” said AJ Delang, who gave his address to the commission. Jim Flanagan, a nearby resident, warned that used-gun transactions and public advertising could create safety risks: “Bad actors will know where these guns are,” he said.

Commissioners framed the request against the town’s long-standing practice allowing service-based home occupations (for example, transfer services) while drawing a bright line against retail inventory that would permit customers to browse or come-and-go. A commissioner moved to approve the home-occupation permit with three conditions — appointment only, order only (prearranged transactions) and restrictions on ammunition stock and sales — and a colleague seconded the motion. The commission voted to approve the application with those conditions.

The conditions require that firearms arrive and leave in their retail packaging and that transfers be by appointment. Commissioners and staff clarified the ammunition restriction: ammunition may be provided with the purchase of a firearm at the time of transfer but no separate back-stock for retail sale will be allowed on-site.

Adams said he would follow federal and state rules and that transfers would be handled in-person by him, with firearms moved directly to customers’ vehicles rather than left accessible inside the house. Staff noted that the ATF and the FFL regulatory framework impose recordkeeping and compliance obligations that the license-holder must meet and that city enforcement focuses on land-use consistency rather than federal compliance.

The approval is subject to appeal to the city council, which staff said must receive written notification within five working days. The commission’s decision followed public comment and a discussion that emphasized consistency with past approvals of service-only home FFLs and the need to avoid establishing a retail inventory model in residential neighborhoods.

Votes at a glance: the commission also voted to table the Thunder Creek Custom Homes conditional-use matter to the June 4 meeting pending a written withdrawal or applicant input, and approved a conditional-use request from Split Rock Square for a second driveway approach onto North Walnut Avenue.

The commission moved on to other agenda items after the vote; any person aggrieved by the commission’s decision may file a written appeal with city staff for scheduling before the city council.