For 65 years, the Martin B. Retting gun store called Culver City, California home. The shop permanently shut its doors last month after the owners decided to retire.
The shop went up in 1958, which made it exempt from a 2005 city ordinance banning gun stores within 1,000 feet of schools, parks or playgrounds. But parents were surprised to learn that any new gun store on the property would also be exempt from the law. As it turned out, Martin B. Redding was likely to be sold to another firearm retailer.
Parents from the nearby La Ballona Elementary School sprung into action.
“We were just like, ‘OK, well what do we do to make sure that another gun store can't move into this space?” parent Melody Hansen told LAist.
They organized residents and petitioned the city to intervene. Their group is called Culver 878 because Martin B. Redding is just 878 feet from the school. In September, the city council voted unanimously to purchase the property for $6.5 million.
The city has been gathering feedback from the public on how to redevelop the site. One thing is certain though – it won’t be turned into another gun store.
“It was something to see this mobilization of this educated base of folks who are really ready to counter these more conservative views or more stricter views around what safety should look like, where our community dollars should go,” said Mayor Yasmine-Imani McMorrin.
Members of Culver 878 hope they can inspire other communities looking to prevent gun retailers from going up near schools.
Read more here.