Firearms Home Businesses Banned in Ames

Ames City Council Tuesday unanimously approved adding firearms sales to the list of prohibited home businesses for the third time making it law.

George Seaton, who applied for a permit to sell firearms in his home in April, was given a one year permit which will be valid until April 2013, despite the new prohibition, WOI reported.

Seaton has a Federal Firearms License, which allows him to sell firearms as a business so long as zoning laws allow it.

Residents in Seaton's neighborhood petitioned the council to add firearms to the list of prohibited businesses after learning of his home business earlier this year, saying that they believed it could affect their property values.

At an Oct. 9 City Council meeting neighbors of other in-home firearms sales businesses including Suzi Howk, told the council that they have seen no impact on their neighborhood as the result of similar businesses. Representatives from the Iowa Firearms Coalition, Liberty Iowa PAC and Campaign for Liberty also collected more than 300 signatures from residents who said they weren't in favor of the home occupation ban and filed the petition Oct. 9.

Council members approved the third reading unanimously without discussion at the time of the vote.

Animal hospitals, dancing and exercise studios, private clubs, restaurants, stables and kennels, repair or painting of motor vehicles and motorcycles are already on the list of prohibited home occupations. The ban doesn't affect private gun sales or firearms possession.

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