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San Carlos moved closer Monday to imposing regulations on how and where gun stores and shooting ranges can operate in their city.

The city’s Planning Commission unanimously recommended that City Council approve new regulations that would require such retailers to obtain a conditional use permit from the Planning Commission to operate; prohibit their location to within 1,000 feet from one another, and from sensitive land uses such as homes, schools, parks and commercial recreation like fitness centers; and require prospective stores to obtain a permit from the Sheriff’s Office. The Planning Commission is also recommending clarifying language to allow for only indoor shooting ranges within those restricted areas.

Under existing city rules, retailers selling firearms and ammunition are permitted to locate within any commercial zoning district in San Carlos, including Laurel Street, portions of San Carlos Avenue, El Camino Real, portions of Old County Road and portions of Industrial Road. The proposed 1,000-foot separation restriction would reduce the ability for such businesses to open within 12 parcels in the city, with many in the same stretch of land along Highway 101.

A desire for increased regulation was sparked in 2017 after community opposition mounted over a plan to open at Turner’s Outdoorsman at 1123 Industrial Road. That led to a moratorium as well as extensions to the moratorium on new firearms retailers, with the latest effective through May 12 this year.

Two existing establishments in San Carlos that sell firearms would be grandfathered in, including Imbert and Smithers at 1144 El Camino Real and Equity Arms, a private seller that works by appointment only at 1100 Industrial Road.

City staff aims to have council vote in a first reading on the proposed regulations on March 11, with a second reading possibly on March 25. If council votes in favor on both occasions, the ordinance would take effect April 25.

Coffee with the Cops is happening this morning from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. This event is put on by Redwood City so our community and police officers can meet informally to discuss whatever comes to mind.

It offers residents the chance to discuss concerns, obtain resources, gain assistance with signing up for our social media platforms, and to simply get to know each other better.

Today’s Coffee with the Cops is being held at the McDonald’s at 185 Chesnut St Redwood City, California 94061  stop by from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

The next Coffee with Cops will be held on Friday, March 10 at 10 a.m.

A San Mateo restaurant owner has apologized over a controversial Tweet stating he would refuse service to any patron wearing a Make America Great Again (MAGA) hat, popularized by President Donald Trump.

In a statement on Medium.com, J. Kenji López-Alt of Wursthall Restaurant expressed regret to his staff and partners for not consulting them before making the public statement that drew mixed reaction from community members.

He added that Wursthall “will continue, as it always has, to serve all customer regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual preference, gender orientation, disability, or political opinion — so long as they leave hate, anger, and violence outside of the doors of our restaurant.”

López-Alt said his did not intend for his Tweet to be viewed as intolerance for certain political viewpoints.

López-Alt’s controversial Tweet was posted Sunday and stated: “It hasn’t happened yet, but if you come to my restaurant wearing a MAGA cap, you aren’t getting served, same as if you come in wearing a swastika, white hood, or any other symbol of intolerance and hate.”

In another Tweet, López-Alt added, “MAGA hats are like white hoods except stupider because you can see exactly who is wearing them.”

López-Alt said some people misunderstood the context behind his Tweet.

“After having seen the red hat displayed so prominently in so many moments of anger, hate, and violence, to me — and many others — the hat began to symbolize exactly that: anger, hate, and violence,” he said. “This was the context my tweet was meant to communicate. Unfortunately the way I tried to communicate this ended up only amplifying the anger, and I apologize for that.”

While he said his message was “intended to reject anger, hate and violence, and indicate that these shouldn’t be welcomed in our society and aren’t welcome in our community,” he added, “I understand that many interpreted my words in a different context, and construed a message of hate directed at them. This was not my intent in any way, and I am sorry for my recklessness.”

Read his full statement here.