New Auto Repair Shop and a Gun Store to Open in O’Fallon

Two new shops will soon join the list of new businesses opening in this year.

O’Fallon City Council approved a conditional use permit for Jeff’s Extreme Cars at a .

Jeff’s Extreme Cars will be located at 108 St. Joseph St. Bob Elmore, the property owner, spoke during a public hearing before the permit was approved.

Elmore said the building has been used for cars since 1964. It started as an auto parts store, and now Jeff Herndon would like to open a repair shop.

The ordinance allowing the conditional use permit was scheduled for first reading on Thursday. Ward 1 Councilman Rick Lucas made a motion to suspend the rules and read the ordinance through to completion, so Herndon would not have to wait two more weeks to start business. He said the owner had already been delayed due to some confusion over policies.

Ward 4 Councilman Jeff Schwentker seconded the motion and the council voted unanimously to approve the conditional use permit.

The council also approved a conditional use permit for Extreme Gun Care, LLC.

The shop, which will be located at 975 West Terra Lane, will sell and repair guns.

During Thursday’s public hearing, owner Mike Lumetta said he was looking forward to moving the shop to O’Fallon because it was closer to home than the Labadie, MO location and there would be more room to expand.

O’Fallon resident A.C. Dienoff expressed concerns with the location of the gun shop during the public hearing.

He said he wasn’t opposed to the store, but he was concerned that more precautions should be taken to protect residents’ safety.

The ordinance allowing the conditional use permit was scheduled for first reading, but Ward 5 Councilman Michael Snowden made a motion to suspend the rules and read the ordinance through to completion.

He said the shop would need an inspection by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms that would take 30 days from the time the council approved the conditional use permit.

Starting on April 12, the National Rifle Association is having a convention in the St. Louis area.

"The petitioner would like to have his business in operation by then to gain the benefit of the additional customers in the area for the convention," Snowden said.

Ward 5 Councilman Mike Pheney seconded the motion and the council voted unanimously to approve the conditional use permit.