Cabela's coming, village to ease local gun rules
BY PATRICK CORCORAN
STAFF WRITER (pioneer prress, chicago suburb paper 2.2.06)
Anticipating the arrival of Cabela's, a nationally known camping and hunting outfitter, Hoffman Estates officials are loosening local restrictions on gun sales.
The Public Health and Safety Committee -- which consists of the entire Village Board -- voted unanimously Jan. 23 to repeal parts of an existing firearms ordinance, eliminating local oversight of gun purchases in the village. A preliminary vote on the amended ordinance is scheduled for Monday. A final vote is expected Feb. 20.
The reason for the change is that the existing ordinance is outdated and will be onerous for buyers and sellers such as Cabela's, said Village Manager Jim Norris.
The current ordinance not only requires retailers to report all gun sales to the Police Department within 24 hours, but it also requires customers to submit an application to the Police Department before obtaining a firearm permit.
Under the amended ordinance, Cabela's, or any other gun dealer, would not have to report gun sales to the Police Department and gun buyers would not need to apply through the village for permits before buying firearms.
Instead, both parties will have to follow state law, which requires gun buyers to obtain an Illinois Firearms Owner Identification (FOID) card, submit to a background check and comply with the standard 24- or 72- hour waiting period, depending on what type of gun is being bought.
Norris, a lifelong hunter and gun owner, said the information mandated under the local ordinance is already included in records maintained by state and federal authorities.
"What we're doing is getting rid of a redundant layer of licensing," he said.
Norris said the existing ordinance could hurt Cabela's bottom line.
"When a large number of their customers travel here from outside the state and want to purchase a rifle or a shotgun, they would first have to obtain a permit (from the local police). This would dramatically impact (Cabela's) ability to do business in the village," Norris said.
Under the amended ordinance, which would cover all new and existing businesses, firearms retail sales would be prohibited without special use approval from the Village Board, Norris said.
Handguns
But some officials are unclear what the new ordinance covers. Trustees Cary Collins, Karen Mills and Rodney Rusakiewicz said they were unsure whether or not, for example, Cabela's would be permitted to sell only rifles and shotguns, or also handguns.
Kent Kelsey, associate corporate counsel for Cabela's, said the Hoffman Estates store will likely sell all three types of firearms.
"At our retail stores, we sell a wide array of shotguns, hunting rifles and handguns," he said. "Our stores specialize in sporting goods, that means camping equipment for campers, fishing gear for fishermen and hunting gear for hunters."
The handgun issue is one that may be discussed in the near future, according to some trustees.
Collins -- who has a FOID card, but is not a gun owner-- said handguns sales at Cabela's may not be warranted.
"I don't know why hunters would need (handguns)," he said. "I know that the store is geared to selling hunting gear and I'm not sure that, in an urban area, that may not be something necessarily that the market is looking for. If handguns are available, then that is something the Village Board is going to have to consider."
Norris said handguns, and other firearms, make up a small portion of Cabela's total sales. The types of firearms sold by the company are those sought by hunters and gun aficionados, not cheap knockoffs used by criminals.
"If you look at Cabela's gun library, these are very expensive, high-quality guns that are used for sporting. They are not the kind of guns generally used in the commission of crimes," he said.
Hoffman Estates Police Chief Clint Herdegen, who signed off on the amended ordinance, has met with Cabela's executives and said they are suitably experienced in the business of selling all types firearms.
"(The ordinance) was long due for revision and we feel that this is an appropriate time to do so," he said. "They are familiar with Illinois' gun laws and I am confident their level of oversight in this community will be acceptable."
When asked if he would endorse a ban on handgun sales, Herdegen said that is the Village Board's decision.
"I think the (community's) greatest concern is with assault weapons, not handguns," he said.
Firearms are not currently available anywhere in Hoffman Estates; when Cabela's opens its doors sometime next year, it will be the first firearms retailer in the village since the former Kmart store on Barrington Road closed more than a decade ago.
Kelsey said Cabela's is willing to conform to the local laws crafted by the Village Board.
"The store operations are going to strictly comply with local ordinances, as well as those at the state and federal level. If we were asked to supply to local authorities the same information we are required to supply to the state, we would do that. If we had to do it on a daily basis, that would be a burden, but we would ...," he said.
Kelsey said he did not know if Cabela's executives had requested amendments to the village's firearms ordinance.
Second-hand guns
The issue of firearms sales proved to be tricky for neighboring Schaumburg when Galyan's Trading Co. opened there in 1998.
Although the store now operates as Dick's Sporting Goods, Galyan's past practices prompted Schaumburg to strengthen its existing gun control laws at the behest of police officials just a year after the store's opening.
As a result of an investigation by Schaumburg police, the village banned the sale of second-hand guns and placed restrictions on access to ammunition on display at the store. Prior to new ordinances, Schaumburg police on two occasions found shotgun shells and ammunition stored in unlocked display cases.
Galyan's was not allowed to sell handguns because of a special use provision put in place by village officials.
Norris said Cabela's typically accepts trade-ins and sells second-hand firearms. He expects the Hoffman Estates store to do so as well. The village currently has no ordinance in place regulating the storage of ammunition at retail stores.
Dick's currently sells only hunting rifles and shotguns.
Kelsey said the Hoffman Estates Cabela's will accept trade-ins and sell second-hand guns. He said the business places a high value on securing firearms and ammunition.
"General security is a major part of what we do at all our stores and the Hoffman Estates store will be no different," he said. "We deal with different laws in different states and we take compliance with firearm legislation very seriously
BY PATRICK CORCORAN
STAFF WRITER (pioneer prress, chicago suburb paper 2.2.06)
Anticipating the arrival of Cabela's, a nationally known camping and hunting outfitter, Hoffman Estates officials are loosening local restrictions on gun sales.
The Public Health and Safety Committee -- which consists of the entire Village Board -- voted unanimously Jan. 23 to repeal parts of an existing firearms ordinance, eliminating local oversight of gun purchases in the village. A preliminary vote on the amended ordinance is scheduled for Monday. A final vote is expected Feb. 20.
The reason for the change is that the existing ordinance is outdated and will be onerous for buyers and sellers such as Cabela's, said Village Manager Jim Norris.
The current ordinance not only requires retailers to report all gun sales to the Police Department within 24 hours, but it also requires customers to submit an application to the Police Department before obtaining a firearm permit.
Under the amended ordinance, Cabela's, or any other gun dealer, would not have to report gun sales to the Police Department and gun buyers would not need to apply through the village for permits before buying firearms.
Instead, both parties will have to follow state law, which requires gun buyers to obtain an Illinois Firearms Owner Identification (FOID) card, submit to a background check and comply with the standard 24- or 72- hour waiting period, depending on what type of gun is being bought.
Norris, a lifelong hunter and gun owner, said the information mandated under the local ordinance is already included in records maintained by state and federal authorities.
"What we're doing is getting rid of a redundant layer of licensing," he said.
Norris said the existing ordinance could hurt Cabela's bottom line.
"When a large number of their customers travel here from outside the state and want to purchase a rifle or a shotgun, they would first have to obtain a permit (from the local police). This would dramatically impact (Cabela's) ability to do business in the village," Norris said.
Under the amended ordinance, which would cover all new and existing businesses, firearms retail sales would be prohibited without special use approval from the Village Board, Norris said.
Handguns
But some officials are unclear what the new ordinance covers. Trustees Cary Collins, Karen Mills and Rodney Rusakiewicz said they were unsure whether or not, for example, Cabela's would be permitted to sell only rifles and shotguns, or also handguns.
Kent Kelsey, associate corporate counsel for Cabela's, said the Hoffman Estates store will likely sell all three types of firearms.
"At our retail stores, we sell a wide array of shotguns, hunting rifles and handguns," he said. "Our stores specialize in sporting goods, that means camping equipment for campers, fishing gear for fishermen and hunting gear for hunters."
The handgun issue is one that may be discussed in the near future, according to some trustees.
Collins -- who has a FOID card, but is not a gun owner-- said handguns sales at Cabela's may not be warranted.
"I don't know why hunters would need (handguns)," he said. "I know that the store is geared to selling hunting gear and I'm not sure that, in an urban area, that may not be something necessarily that the market is looking for. If handguns are available, then that is something the Village Board is going to have to consider."
Norris said handguns, and other firearms, make up a small portion of Cabela's total sales. The types of firearms sold by the company are those sought by hunters and gun aficionados, not cheap knockoffs used by criminals.
"If you look at Cabela's gun library, these are very expensive, high-quality guns that are used for sporting. They are not the kind of guns generally used in the commission of crimes," he said.
Hoffman Estates Police Chief Clint Herdegen, who signed off on the amended ordinance, has met with Cabela's executives and said they are suitably experienced in the business of selling all types firearms.
"(The ordinance) was long due for revision and we feel that this is an appropriate time to do so," he said. "They are familiar with Illinois' gun laws and I am confident their level of oversight in this community will be acceptable."
When asked if he would endorse a ban on handgun sales, Herdegen said that is the Village Board's decision.
"I think the (community's) greatest concern is with assault weapons, not handguns," he said.
Firearms are not currently available anywhere in Hoffman Estates; when Cabela's opens its doors sometime next year, it will be the first firearms retailer in the village since the former Kmart store on Barrington Road closed more than a decade ago.
Kelsey said Cabela's is willing to conform to the local laws crafted by the Village Board.
"The store operations are going to strictly comply with local ordinances, as well as those at the state and federal level. If we were asked to supply to local authorities the same information we are required to supply to the state, we would do that. If we had to do it on a daily basis, that would be a burden, but we would ...," he said.
Kelsey said he did not know if Cabela's executives had requested amendments to the village's firearms ordinance.
Second-hand guns
The issue of firearms sales proved to be tricky for neighboring Schaumburg when Galyan's Trading Co. opened there in 1998.
Although the store now operates as Dick's Sporting Goods, Galyan's past practices prompted Schaumburg to strengthen its existing gun control laws at the behest of police officials just a year after the store's opening.
As a result of an investigation by Schaumburg police, the village banned the sale of second-hand guns and placed restrictions on access to ammunition on display at the store. Prior to new ordinances, Schaumburg police on two occasions found shotgun shells and ammunition stored in unlocked display cases.
Galyan's was not allowed to sell handguns because of a special use provision put in place by village officials.
Norris said Cabela's typically accepts trade-ins and sells second-hand firearms. He expects the Hoffman Estates store to do so as well. The village currently has no ordinance in place regulating the storage of ammunition at retail stores.
Dick's currently sells only hunting rifles and shotguns.
Kelsey said the Hoffman Estates Cabela's will accept trade-ins and sell second-hand guns. He said the business places a high value on securing firearms and ammunition.
"General security is a major part of what we do at all our stores and the Hoffman Estates store will be no different," he said. "We deal with different laws in different states and we take compliance with firearm legislation very seriously
