pf08-014 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Pawn Shop FAQ: Q1: Why is Roseville putting a/another pawn shop in the city? Attachment H A1: The City is not proposing a pawn shop; rather, the City received an application for a Conditional Use Permit to operate a pawn shop in the General Retail District. The Planning Commission along with City staff has found that the proposed use satisfies the criteria for approval of the Conditional Use Permit and has therefore recommended that the City Council approve the request. Q2: What is a Conditional Use Permit? A2: The Zoning Ordinance allows pawn shops, churches, veterinary clinics, and many other uses as "conditional uses" in particular zoning districts — that is, they require a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) The CUP recognizes that a conditional use is appropriate in the designated zoning district, much like other "permitted" uses that don't require special approvals, except that the City Council can attach conditions to CUPs in order to prevent potential negative impacts on the surrounding area. Q3: Won't a pawn shop increase criminal activity in the area? A3: People are not allowed to pawn or sell items to a pawn shop unless those items belong to them, and every transaction is documented in detail, including identification and photographs of the seller as well as the items being sold. Items with serial numbers may not be pawned or sold unless the serial number is also recorded; items may not be pawned if the serial number is illegible or has been manipulated. Jewelry which has many identifying characteristics but doesn't have serial numbers is described in detail as part of the transaction documentation. Every day, pawn shop transactions are cross-referenced with a statewide database of stolen items. Once an item is taken in by the pawn shop, it may not be re-sold for a period of 60 days, allowing for ample opportunity to detect stolen items. When a pawned item has been reported stolen, local law enforcement officials are notified, and the item is confiscated from the pawnbroker and returned to its rightful owner. Because the pawnbroker has already paid money for the item, s/he takes a loss on the transaction when the item is coniiscated, so pawnbrokers want to be certain that they are not buying stolen items in the first place. There are other stores in Roseville that are not pawn shops and that buy and sell used sporting equipment, music recordings, video games, clothing, and so on, with no verification that the items are not stolen; these items may be re-sold that same day. While the heightened scrutiny of pawn shop transactions might seem to indicate that pawn shops must be dealing in stolen merchandise, it might suggest instead that stolen CDs, video games, and sporting goods would be easier to sell at the other secondhand stores. Finally, Roseville Police staff has indicated that property crime in the surrounding area is unlikely to increase around a new pawn shop precisely because of the likelihood that stolen items will be discovered and that the people who pawned them will be prosecuted. Q4: While the current applicant might run an upstanding pawn shop, what happens if he goes out of business or sells to somebody else? A5: If the Conditional Use Permit is approved, it only applies to the use (i.e., pawn shops) in general. Any specific pawnbroker would still have to secure a license and operate within the licensing requirements or risk suspension or revocation of the license. Q5: Will the pawn shop sell firearms and/or pornographic materials, or offer check cashing/payday loan services? A5: The applicant has stated that his business will not sell firearms or pornography and will not offer check cashing/payday loan services. Based on this statement, the Planning Commission has recommended prohibiting these activities as a condition of an approved CUP. Prepared by Roseville Community DP�elopment Department, April 21, 2008 �..- �.