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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrd 02-26 Item 6.1 Extending Urgency Interim Ordinance 01-26 of the City Council of the City of DublPage 1 of 4 Ord. No. 02-26, Item 6.1, Adopted 03/03/2026 ORDINANCE NO. 02-26 EXTENDING URGENCY INTERIM ORDINANCE 01-26 OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN PROHIBITING THE ESTABLISHMENT, EXPANSION, OR RELOCATION OF FIREARMS RETAILING AND SHOOTING RANGE USES WITHIN THE CITY (PLPA-004331-2026) The Dublin City Council does ordain as follows: SECTION 1. RECITALS A. The City Council of the City of Dublin previously found that firearm-related injuries and deaths have a significant adverse impact on public health, safety, and welfare nationally, statewide, and locally; and B. The City Council continues to consider and study zoning amendments that would regulate the approval, siting, or operation of firearms retailers and firearms shooting ranges in order to address land use compatibility concerns and protect the public health, safety, and welfare; and C. The City Council previously found that firearms retailers and firearms shooting ranges increase access and visibility to firearms in the surrounding area and may raise land use compatibility concerns when located near sensitive land uses such as schools, parks, libraries, childcare facilities, and residential neighborhoods; and D. The City Council previously found that interim regulation is necessary to prevent the approval of firearms retailers and firearms shooting ranges that could undermine or prejudice the zoning amendments under study during the study period; and E. Under the Dublin Municipal Code, firearms retailers and firearms shooting ranges are considered Retail and Recreation Facility uses and, in some zoning districts, may be permitted by right, subject to compliance with applicable regulations and permits; and F. The City Council has received inquiries regarding the potential establishment of a firearms retailer and/or indoor shooting range in proximity to a planned or existing school within the City, prompting concern—similarly expressed in state and federal law (see 18 U.S.C. § 922(q) and Cal. Penal Code, § 626.9)—that existing zoning regulations may not adequately address the compatibility of such uses with surrounding sensitive land uses; and G. The City Council desires to study potential amendments to the Dublin Zoning Ordinance to address the siting and regulation of firearms retailers and firearms shooting ranges, including whether such uses should be further regulated through additional zoning standards or requirements; and H. The City Council previously found that, during the period in which such zoning amendments are being considered and studied, the approval of firearms retailers and firearms shooting ranges prior to completion of that study could result in land use conflicts that would be difficult to remedy after the fact; and I. Government Code section 65858 authorizes a city council, as an urgency measure and without following the procedures otherwise required for adoption of a zoning ordinance, to adopt an interim ordinance prohibiting uses that may be in conflict with a contemplated zoning proposal, including zoning amendments under study, in order to protect the public health, safety, and welfare, and Docusign Envelope ID: 0D1859BB-FB81-4CD6-BEEF-DA35450C2767 Page 2 of 4 Ord. No. 02-26, Item 6.1, Adopted 03/03/2026 further authorizes the city council, following notice pursuant to Government Code section 65090 and a public hearing, to extend such an interim ordinance by a four-fifths vote upon finding that a current and immediate threat to the public health, safety, or welfare continues to exist; and J. Government Code sections 36934 and 36937(b) authorize adoption of urgency ordinances at a regular or special meeting, provided the ordinance contains findings of urgency and is adopted by a four-fifths vote of the City Council; and K. The City Council finds and declares that there is a current and immediate threat to the public health, safety, and welfare if firearms retailers and/or firearms shooting ranges are established or expanded during the pendency of the zoning amendments under study, prior to the adoption of permanent regulations. SECTION 2. FINDINGS A. The City Council finds and declares that this Ordinance is necessary as an urgency measure for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety, within the meaning of Government Code sections 36937(b) and 65858, because approval of firearms retailers and/or firearms shooting ranges during the pendency of the City’s zoning study would pose a current and immediate threat to the public health, safety, and welfare by allowing potentially incompatible land uses near sensitive receptors. B. The City Council further finds that the approval of permits, licenses, or other entitlements by the City required to comply with a zoning ordinance to establish or operate firearms retailers and/or firearms shooting ranges during the study period would result in a current and immediate threat to the public health, safety, or welfare, within the meaning of Government Code section 65858(c), because such approvals would allow uses that may conflict with zoning amendments under study. C. The City Council finds that adoption of this Ordinance is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15061(c)(3), because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the Ordinance will have a significant effect on the environment. SECTION 3. EXTENSION OF INTERIM PROHIBITION ON ESTABLISHMENT, EXPANSION, AND RELOCATION OF FIREARMS RETAILING AND FIREARMS SHOOTING RANGE USES A. Notwithstanding any provision of the Dublin Municipal Code to the contrary, the prohibition on establishment, expansion, or relocation of firearms retailing and firearms shooting range uses within the City of Dublin is hereby extended for an additional period of ten (10) months and fifteen (15) days from the date the interim urgency ordinance would otherwise expire. B. For purposes of this Ordinance, “firearm” shall have the same meaning as set forth in California Penal Code section 16520. C. This Ordinance is intended as an interim, prohibitory zoning measure to prevent the approval of firearms retailing and firearms shooting range uses that may conflict with zoning amendments under study by the City Council. SECTION 4. INTERIM NATURE OF ORDINANCE This Ordinance is adopted pursuant to Government Code section 65858 as an extension of the interim urgency ordinance prohibiting the establishment, expansion, or relocation of firearms dealership uses Docusign Envelope ID: 0D1859BB-FB81-4CD6-BEEF-DA35450C2767 Page 3 of 4 Ord. No. 02-26, Item 6.1, Adopted 03/03/2026 during the period in which the City is studying zoning amendments related to firearms dealerships. SECTION 5. DURATION This urgency ordinance shall take effect immediately upon adoption and shall remain in effect for ten (10) months and fifteen (15) days from the date the interim urgency ordinance would otherwise expire, unless extended in accordance with Government Code section 65858. SECTION 6. SEVERABILITY If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this Ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of the Ordinance. The City Council declares that it would have adopted this Ordinance and each section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase thereof irrespective of the fact that any one or more portions may be declared invalid. SECTION 7. NON-CODIFICATION This Ordinance is an interim urgency ordinance and shall not be codified in the Dublin Municipal Code. SECTION 8. EFFECTIVE DATE AND ADOPTION This Ordinance shall take effect immediately upon adoption by a four-fifths vote of the City Council. SECTION 9. POSTING The City Clerk of the City of Dublin shall cause this Ordinance to be published and posted in the manner required by law. {Signatures on the following page} Docusign Envelope ID: 0D1859BB-FB81-4CD6-BEEF-DA35450C2767 Page 4 of 4 Ord. No. 02-26, Item 6.1, Adopted 03/03/2026 PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED BY the City Council of the City of Dublin, on this 3rd day of March, 2026, by the following votes: AYES: Councilmembers Josey, McCorriston, Qaadri and Mayor Hu NOES: ABSENT: Councilmember Morada ABSTAIN: _____________________________ Mayor ATTEST: ______________________________ City Clerk Docusign Envelope ID: 0D1859BB-FB81-4CD6-BEEF-DA35450C2767