A vacant commercial building on North Main Street in Walnut Creek, once home to Lewis & Lewis Carpets, could become a nine-lane indoor shooting range and firearms training facility if a gun retailer's proposal clears the city's permitting process. The company behind the plan, Elite Armory, is seeking approval for a facility at 2615 N. Main St. that would combine a shooting range, training space and retail store, though the project still faces a binding vote before it can move forward.
The property is zoned Service Commercial, a designation that requires a Conditional Use Permit for indoor recreation and entertainment uses like a shooting range, according to Contra Costa News. The Walnut Creek Design Review Commission has reviewed the proposed design and provides advisory comments to the Planning Commission, but that body does not vote on whether the gun range can actually open, as reported by CBS News. The Walnut Creek Planning Commission will ultimately consider the Conditional Use Permit needed for the project to proceed.
Ballistic Ceilings and a Bigger Footprint
City staff reports describe a nine-lane tactical shooting environment built with a fortified ballistic ceiling, impact-resistant ballistic walls and sound-absorbing panels, per the same Contra Costa News account. Elite Armory worked with Action Target, described as one of the country's largest range builders, to design the facility. The existing structure on the site is 3,000 square feet, and the proposal calls for a 1,280-square-foot addition to accommodate the new range and retail space.
Parking is also part of the plan. The site currently has just five parking spaces, and Elite Armory intends to expand that to 21 stalls, four more than Walnut Creek's municipal standards require, according to CLAYCORD. Proposed public hours would run 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends, with separate reservation-only hours set aside for law enforcement agencies and certified trainers outside those times, the site notes.
Noise Concerns From Nearby Neighbors and Workers
A third-party noise study submitted with the application found that modeled sound levels at the four nearest residential areas would stay below existing ambient noise levels during public operation, though CLAYCORD's report notes gunfire could be faintly audible at two locations during quieter traffic periods. Elite Armory has said its facility design minimizes noise both inside and outside the building, and the company has said its facilities go significantly above and beyond state and federal requirements, adding that safety is a top priority.
Not everyone is reassured. Francisca Hernandez, who works at Jim's Auto Body Shop near the proposed site, expressed concern about the proposed indoor gun range, according to CBS News. Lori Sandoval, who said she has been to several gun ranges, offered a different view, telling the station that gun ranges are insulated and not loud outside.
Company Already Runs a Castro Valley Storefront
Elite Armory, operated by Best Net Sale, Inc. and co-owned by Gabriel Casillas, already runs a retail-only gun and ammunition storefront in Castro Valley that does not include a shooting range, according to a declaration filed in Alameda County Superior Court. The company also operates a sister location in Tracy that includes a full indoor shooting range, giving it prior experience running a range-equipped facility in the region.
State Rules Shape What a Range Must Do
Any range Elite Armory eventually opens would operate under California Senate Bill 1384, which took effect in January 2024 and requires licensed firearms dealers to maintain 24-hour continuous digital video and audio surveillance covering entrances, exits, firearm displays and point-of-sale areas, with recordings kept for at least a year, according to the California Department of Justice. Separately, California Civil Code Section 3482.1 shields sport shooting ranges from civil liability, criminal prosecution or private nuisance lawsuits over noise pollution, provided the facility complied with local noise control ordinances at the time it was first approved, per FindLaw. That statute is designed to protect approved ranges as residential development grows around them over time.
Commercial indoor shooting ranges remain relatively uncommon in the Bay Area. The closest established options include Reed's Indoor Range in Santa Clara, which has 20 firing lanes, and Bay Area Gun Vault in Mountain View, according to Reed's Indoor Range's own listings. Indoor ranges are less common in Contra Costa County than outdoor shooting clubs, adding to the significance of the Walnut Creek proposal for local gun owners.
The proposal also arrives against a broader statewide backdrop on firearm safety. Giffords Law Center data for 2024 found California posted the seventh-lowest gun death rate in the nation, following a 9% decrease in gun deaths between 2015 and 2024, even as the national rate rose 15% over the same period. California received an A grade on Giffords' annual gun policy scorecard, according to the organization's findings.
For now, the fate of the Walnut Creek project rests with the Planning Commission, which must weigh the Conditional Use Permit and any required environmental review before Elite Armory can move forward. The Design Review Commission's feedback on the layout and architecture was advisory only, leaving the binding decision still ahead.
