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Woods Cross • A new home-based guns and ammo business could be opening here soon.
After hearing from opponents and supporters, the Woods Cross Planning Commission on Tuesday voted unanimously to grant a home-occupation permit to Tyler Murri, who wants to operate Ty's Guns from his downstairs family room. He plans to sell firearms, ammunition and gun-related products, he said, and advertising will be done online and by word of mouth.
Murri — who still must get a federal firearms license before he launches the enterprise — said he will run the business a few hours a day and expects only one or two customers daily. His merchandise will be locked in a gun safe and the home has an alarm system, he said.
The safeguards did not satisfy some of Murri's neighbors, who stressed that they support the right to own guns but said the business should not operate in a residential area. They cited concerns about traffic, shootings by customers and children possibly getting hold of a firearm.
"I think a neighborhood's an inappropriate venue for selling firearms," Kris Larrabee told the commission.
Ria Van Lent pointed out that Murri plans to run it beginning in the late afternoon, when children will be coming home from school. And Todd Hanna said the business could attract thieves looking for an easy target and also worried that property values could go down when potential homebuyers learn that firearms are being sold in the area.
Others, though, said Murri has the same right as the owners of other types of businesses to operate from home. One neighbor said that more guns will make the neighborhood even safer.
A current and former owner of a home-based gun business also backed Murri. Joseph Leigh, who got a license to operate Leigh Custom Arms from his South Jordan home last year, and David Layton, who had a Bountiful business, said they had none of the problems the neighbors are worried about.
There already are several other home-based firearms businesses operating in Woods Cross. Commissioner Gary Sharp told the audience that as an administrative board, the commission is required under law to approve applications that meet all requirements. The only recourse for opponents is to appeal to the City Council.
Twitter: @PamelaMansonSLC