Concealed carry remains permitted in outdoor areas
SUN CITY – As concealed carry of handguns has taken center stage in Illinois, the attention of the Sun City Community Association has focused on how the new state law will be handled within this community.
In Sun City, the Illinois concealed carry law permits the Community Association Board of Directors to regulate when and where handguns may be carried concealed by persons in common areas. At the board’s quarterly meeting on Jan. 29, board members unanimously voted to prohibit concealed carry in Prairie and Meadow View lodges, the golf pro shop in Prairie Lodge, Jameson’s Pub and dining room in Prairie Lodge, Millgrove Woodshop, and both outdoor swimming pools, including the fenced areas surrounding pools.
Signs like the one pictured above will be
posted in Prairie Lodge, Meadowview Lodge, and Millgrove Woodshop to make visitors aware that concealed carry is prohibited in those buildings. (Photo Provided)
In a previous concealed carry vote late last year, the concept of a ban on concealed carry in all common areas was passed by a divided 4-3 vote, with three directors voting against a ban on second amendment constitutional grounds. On Jan. 29, all seven board members voted in favor of bans on concealed carry in the above-mentioned areas.
Asked why such other outdoor common areas as the Tall Oaks tennis courts, Eakin Field, Wildflower Park, and walking trails, were not included in the ban, Executive Director Lauren Lee said Sun City’s regulation only includes indoor areas. That’s where staff is located when the facilities are open, and can assist with enforcement, she said.
“We have an internal policy that staff will enforce if necessary, and we have the ability to call police should it be necessary,” Lee said.
Signs announcing the prohibition were posted at all of the affected areas soon after the meeting.
At the Jan. 29 meeting, resident Karen Kennedy praised the board for taking the action.
“I am opposed to guns, I’m glad the board took this action to ban them in our gathering places,” she said.
Other residents, however, said the action is meaningless, claiming that signs would not stop criminals with guns and that stronger enforcement, like metal detectors, would be necessary.
Handgun owners may apply for a concealed carry permit with submission of their gun ownership permits and other qualifying information. The state has 90 days to approve an application.
