Shooting Ranges Under Threat?

[Bellevance]

As the population grows and as suburban sprawl creeps out into rural areas, in many states long-standing shooting ranges are facing new challenges--and there are no doubt more challenges to come.

Here's a link to a article about this issue in the New Jersey/New York region, "Uneasy Mix: Suburbs and Gun Ranges": http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/13/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/13Rgunranges.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Are shooting ranges under threat where you live?

 

[AK103K]

I think in the more populated areas it is becoming a real issue. We moved about a year or so ago from a formerly rural area that had quickly become the yuppie place to be. With the influx of what we considered city people into the area and they strange customs they brought with them, like thinking cow pies smelled bad and the township just had to do something about that boy spreading that stuff, we knew it was time to get.

I used to shoot at a range that had been in place since the turn of the last century. Urban sprawl definitely became an issue, and of course, since the yuppies felt it was such a beautiful area they found to live, you just had to stop doing that dangerous stuff around their new found beauty.

The club was always pretty anal about they way you shot anyway, but they really got bad from the late 90's on. It got so you couldnt shoot there on the weekends due to the range officer harassment. Any minor infraction brought their wrath. Its a sad thing to watch fearful people flaming out.

One of PA's former governors passed a law awhile back freeing ranges that had been in place from being shut down due to something like this, but I dont know how effective it will be. Insurance is a real big issue these days for gun ranges, and I'm sure they will have more to do with this than anything else.

Lucky for me these days, I now live back out where the yuppies are likely not to wander, at least for whats left of my lifetime, and I can actually shoot right off my porch if I wanted. But I also have a real nice range just 2 minutes down the road and its real gun friendly up here. I can even draw my pistols from my holster, shoot rapid fire, or shoot my machine guns without harassment. The air smells a lot better too. Ahhh, fresh cow pies (among other things), I must be home!

 

[Jkwas]

Boy, an article in the NY Times about how gun ranges are no longer viable. Go figure.
People complaining about the gun range after they moved there. Kinda reminds me of a local story of a developer that built a golf course community right next to a pig farm, Then wanted the pig farm to close.
Some people just feel entitled I guess.

 

[jmorrell]

Several months ago, our local county commission tried to rezone the area in which our private shooting club is located (the club has been in existence since 1951). Fortunately, there is a lot of support for the shooting sports in our semi-rural community: 120 of the club members showed up at the rezoning hearing, and the measure failed to pass.

 

[chris in va]

I live in VA about 70 miles from DC, definitely not an urban area. The city council won't allow any ranges in this county. One guy tried to open up a very professional indoor range and he got voted out with pressure from the local gun stores. So I still have no place to shoot within an hour of here.

 

[Jay1958]

I just got notification from a local indoor range in my area that they will no longer be open to the public. It is a very nice indoor range, with excellent ventiliation, individual shooting stalls, targets run out to 75 feet, one of the nicer indoor ranges I have ever seen.

They are going to membership only. They said that due to an increase in criminal and gang activity, and influx of illegal aliens, they feel that many of the people coming in to use the range may fall into one of those two categories, and therefore it will be membership only, and membership will require filling out and signing a contract that affirms that you have never been convicted of a felony, that you are not a drug user or addict, that you are not under a restraining order for domestic abuse or threats, that you are a U.S. citizen or legal U.S. resident (proof required, such as birth certificate, passport, or green card). Also, you must go thru an interview process with the staff before your membership will be approved.

Many if not most outdoor ranges and gun clubs have similar rules, but it's sad that a great indoor range (attached to a retail gun shop) that was open to the public is having to take these measures to protect itself and the community. I won't be able to shoot there anymore, because I am a member of an outdoor range and I can't afford membership in both. I used to go there sometimes in cold/bad weather, or after work since the outdoor range closes before dark.

 

[Jay1958]

Why in the world do local gun stores not want an indoor range in the area? That makes no sense to me!

I live in VA about 70 miles from DC, definitely not an urban area. The city council won't allow any ranges in this county. One guy tried to open up a very professional indoor range and he got voted out with pressure from the local gun stores. So I still have no place to shoot within an hour of here.

 

[BillCA]

Sprawling suburbia is a problem here in Kalifornia too. There are few places one could build a shooting range and if you tried, it'd be a nightmare today with EPA regs and soccer moms protesting.

Kinda reminds me of a local story of a developer that built a golf course community right next to a pig farm, Then wanted the pig farm to close.

In San Jose, Ca. there is a general-aviation airport that's existed since about 1947. As the city got bigger they developed the land all around the airport. Worse yet, the city allowed construction of a HUGE 3-story indoor mall 1/4 mile off the end of the main runway!

Now, with the airport surrounded on 3 sides by suburbia, every time a plane nose dives into someone's backyard pool there's an cry to close the airport. Every home sold within 2 miles is told the airport exists, yet they act as if it's a surprise when a plane crashes.

In one of our more rural parts of the state a city gave permission for homes to be built a 1/2 mile off the end of a shooting range. The range started in '68 and is used heavily, especially just before hunting season. Now the folks living "downrange" want the range shut down because they feel it's just too daaanngerous to raise their kids that close to gunfire. :barf: They were talking about suing to get it closed down. I hope they do because it's the city's fault that they allowed homes to be built there, not the range's fault.

Grrrr. Stupid people!

 

[bbrian]

Competition?

Can range owners make money these days? Is there enough incentive for people to even think about opening new ranges?

I assume that most range owners can’t really count on additional revenue from ammo, targets, eye/ear protection, and guns themselves since they are now competing with big corporations like wal-mart, basspro, etc. Unfortunately, my guy can’t get near the prices that the big stores can offer.

Am I missing something?

 

[Arabia]

Yes this is a major issue nation wide. For instance the local club I go to in Western Mass which ten years ago was surrounded by open fields, and a horse farm is now surrounded by new subdivisions, and 300 yrds from the end of the rifle range is a commercial park. All the farm land on the street was sold off a few years ago to local developers that are now putting in $650,000 homes. Thankfully the slow housing market has made it impossible to sell those homes. The club as a buffer of woods around which cuts down on some noise but still loud rifles can be heard a quarter mile down the road. Even now, people in older subdivisions down the street are complaining about the noise. The Police depart fields the calls but tell the callers their is nothing to be done. Since in the 1990s a law was put into effect that grandfathered all existing clubs, and ranges from new zoning laws etc. The only way a club can be shut down is to put on a ballot in a town election. Generally the town people and importantly the Police support the club. Though that can change in the future with the influx of city people.

Unfortunately this is only going to get worse as developments spread further into rural, or semi rural areas. The only way to combat closing of ranges it is to have special state rules that exempt them from zoning, and noise laws. Of course being a good neighbor is also very important. That means if the range has facilities that are marketable it should offer itself to local groups to use it for their events. It makes the club an asset to the community, and not as an unwanted problem. Our club allows local groups, for example high school sport booster clubs, boy scouts, religious groups, and many other groups to use the club house and grounds for a fee. The fee goes to pay the outrages insurance need to run a club. Being hostile to outsiders is a sure way to create more enemies in the community that will make the club existence a pain.

 

[4EVERM-14]

My home club has existed since the 30's. In 1995 three years after a past mayor had a nearby farm rezoned so he could build houses the town council was ready to shut the range down. Surprisingly long time neighbors of the club came forward and helped pressure the town to reach an agreement to keep the club open. Of course now another politico is trying to get another housing development approved close to the club property.
Unfortunatley there will always be some reason for the high and mighty to look down on shooters and there activities. Noise,environmental issues, and real estate are just another way to eliminate the second amendment.

 

[rampage841512]

I got to pistol range in the urban sprawl of the Birmingham metro area, specifically Tarrant if you happen to be from the area. Anyway, I just got news today that they are expanding to have a rifle range as well, so there doesn't seem to be a problem around here.

 

[Casimer]

I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that anti-gun and environmental groups are coordinating their efforts.

Also in my region, I think that property owners are required to disclose the proximity of a firing range when selling their property. There's apparently some formal acknowledgement that's made by the buyer which then limits their ability to take action against the range.

Two local ranges that I frequent have been subject to harassment by neighbors who've claimed that they were unaware that the range was active, but these complaints haven't gone anywhere for this fact.

One woman went as far as to claim that bullets were hitting her house. She called the police and showed them the cases she's found on her property as proof. The police then explained to her that, if anything, she was providing evidence that she was shooting at the range

 

[Buzzcook]

A person was hit by a stray round in front of a day care school where our old range was.
That about did it here.
A new place for a range is still being sought.

 

[carguychris]

I'm not quite as negative as some folks about this topic. I've been fairly involved in local politics for a while. A few points:

Shooting ranges are normally governed only by regulations on a local level, generally the zoning and noise ordinances.

Turnout for local elections is usually very poor. A few hundred motivated and well organized citizens can easily throw most local elections, unlike a statewide or national election. Local elected officials usually realize this! Make your voice heard!

A few suggestions:

*A specific exception in the noise ordinance allowing shooting ranges, or at least rules that are written to be range-friendly.

*Amend the zoning code so that a shooting range is a legal conforming use, even if a special permit and conditions are required to operate one. This means that the zoning ordinance specifically calls out a shooting range as an allowable land use and defines it.

*Don't accept status as a legal non-conforming use. This means that a land use is grudgingly allowed only because it existed before the current zoning was enacted. While this classification could allow a range to continue operating, it will often make building permits impossible to attain, causing the facility to slowly die from neglect.

*Get involved in making sure that surrounding land is zoned for compatible uses.

*Use some sense in designing and locating new ranges. A hint: locate it so that a FEMA floodplain is the only thing downrange for miles. Local regulations, particularly in populated areas, make it very difficult to impossible to build in a floodplain. A range next to a FEMA floodplain will likely never have a housing subdivision on the other side of the backstop.