DE PERE, Wis. (WFRV) – De Pere veteran and gunsmith Daniel Farnsworth appeared before the City Council today seeking approval to expand his planned firearms repair and maintenance shop.
The proposed site sits about 600 feet from both Foxview Middle School and Notre Dame School, just outside the 300-foot radius that requires formal neighbor notification.
Farnsworth, a U.S. Army veteran and generational Wisconsin gunsmith, says the business will be appointment-only and focused strictly on repairs, cleaning and overall maintenance.
He has pledged extensive security, including a concrete safe room, biometric fingerprint locks, and storage practices similar to those he followed in the military.
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The application is for a Type B home occupation, a De Pere zoning category that allows small businesses with limited customer visits, by appointment only, while still requiring city approval and keeping the residential character of the property. Type A home occupations, by contrast, allow no customer traffic and typically need no public hearing.
Some nearby residents said they only recently learned of the proposal and worry about the shop’s proximity to schools, especially after a recent gun incident at Preble High School.
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City officials explained that state and federal law largely govern gunsmith licensing, leaving local authority limited. The shop must obtain a Federal Firearms License and meet Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) requirements, which include background checks and inspections.
The Planning Commission and City Council will continue reviewing the application. A Common Council meeting scheduled for October 21, before making a final decision.
