Help me argue why my club shooting range should stay open

[pbslinger]

I am going to a county legislature hearing later today and may speak. Our club shooting range is in danger of being closed since an ajoining property owner purchased land and has had an ongoing campaign to close the range since building a house nearby. He built his house behind the original backstop, and we turned our range and rebuilt to the tune of about $20K. This resulted in the range being closed for a year.

The county legislature gave us a permit for 25 years about 4 years ago, but the same man continues to try to close the range. He has gotten petitions from people living in a subdivision that is about 1/2 mile behind the firing line, and has stirred up property owners that are behind the backstop. It is rumored they have contributed to the campaigns of some legislators.

The range has been in operation for nearly 50 years without any incident that I know of. On the 60 acres of club property is a trap range used by high schools for competition and at least one police department uses the rifle and pistol ranges for training.

It is assumed that they don't like the noise, but a state law protects shooting ranges from noise complaints. They want the range closed due the danger of stray bullets causing injury. The new property owner found a quantity (100+?) of bullets on his land and another neighbor says he has a bullet hole in his satellite dish and barn. I think they have caused a "stray bullet hysteria" to justify closing the range closing.

The range has really tightened rules to prevent bullets leaving the range, including rules tests, paper targets only, no offhand rifle shooting. About half of club members are NRA Range Safety Officer trained. The range was inspected by an NRA rep, and suggested improvements made.

Help me present the best argument for why the minimal risk that still exists (all ranges have risk if anyone lives nearby) is allowable, and the range should stay open.

Thanks

 

[Forester]

I'm sorry to hear this Pbslinger. That makes me very angry. What did the guy expect but noise when he buys a house next to a shooting range? Good luck, man.

 

[zoom6zoom]

Tell them that if you do get shut down you're gonna turn it into a heliport. Or a cattleyard.

 

[sparkgap]

Pbslinger,

Where is your range located and it's name?

Bob

 

[pbslinger]

Lake Lotawana Sportsman's Club in eastern Jackson County, Missouri.

 

[n4zov]

I strongly suggest getting in touch with the NRA. They have experience with these kinds of issues and can probably assist you. Also contact your NRA field representative and ask for his help. He may be able to line up people who can testify on behalf of the range. IMHO you need help from people who have experience in this field.

http://www.nrahq.org/shootingrange/findlocal.asp

http://www.nrahq.org/fieldreps/index.asp

 

[feldspar13]

I suggest a pig farm if you have to close the range

 

[NFrameFred]

Originally posted by feldspar13:
I suggest a pig farm if you have to close the range

Nice touch. Or a trailer court with about 500 spaces.

 

[Dr.-d]

Has the club leaders reached out to any of the local property owners and offered free memberships or an "olive branch" of some sort. Who keeps the club grounds groomed? Maybe reach out to the property owners even if they are 1/2 mile behind the club and offer lawn mowing etc. I am sure the club charges a membership etc/dues, even if they were raised a little to offset the cost of helping the nieghbors somehow it would be worth it not having the range shut down. Does your club have dinners etc.? Put on a community spread once a month etc. When holidays come around try to include them somehow. These are just ideas that could be used to bring them around. The worst that can be done is to give these people the "middle finger" and not acknowledge any of their gripes, even if they are A**holes and totaly wrong and your right. In the case of any "accident or incident" that involved these peoples property and it was proven the club was never at fault; unfortunately the club will still get a "black eye". -Good Luck.

 

[pred]

This is an issue, The range I belong to gets the same crap since the houses that can hear the gun fire sell for less than the surrounding neighborhoods,,,,,,, Like moving next to an airport and complaining about the air planes.
The stray bullets are an issue though.
My range also hosts many shooting competitions which bring income into the area, As well as the prison guards train there as well as local police.

Never concentrate on what the range does not do, Concentrate on it's benifits to the area and it's monitary impact as well as easing possible over crowding of the roads it 300 McMansions were built there!
Peter

 

[buckeyeshooter]

+1 on the pig farm

 

[VAdoublegunner]

Originally posted by zoom6zoom:
Tell them that if you do get shut down you're gonna turn it into a heliport. Or a cattleyard.

Close. Actually since your members probably own the land the only way to recoup your investment would be to turn it into a landfill, or better yet a hazardous waste disposal facility.

I've actually seen that work.

 

[Doug M.]

Get the NRA ad a darned good lawyer on your side. ASAP.

As a general rule, one cannot "move to the nuisance" and then try to change it.

 

[truckemup97]

Why do people build a house next to a gun range then complain about the gun range? Why do people build houses in the country then complain about smells from neighboring farms? Why do people buy houses next to an interstate highway or an airport then complain about noise?

I think some believe the world revolves around them and should change to make their lives easier. I think others are just plain stupid.

 

[Amici]

Originally posted by Doug M.:
As a general rule, one cannot "move to the nuisance" and then try to change it.

That USED to be the general rule. "Coming to the nuisance" WAS a valid basis to shut the whiners up in court. That was then; this is now.

Ever since Spurr v. Del Webb was decided, courts have used a "best use" analysis to destroy long-established businesses on the grounds that, because times change and yuppies came to bring civilization to benighted, blighted areas, their new use of of the land (McMansions) pre-empts the property rights of those who came before.

As others have suggested, contact the NRA and get a GOOD zoning/land use lawyer.

 

[schutzen]

This may be a fight you can not win, but you may be able to make it very interesting. You will have to go to court. Make sure you have documented everything. 1) The range was there first. 2) He was aware the range was there when he built a home behind the berm. 3) You reoriented the range not out of necessity, but to placate his irrational fears. 4) He has continued to agitate the community against you. and 5) You are willing to relocate the range if he is willing to purchase a site suitable for your range, bear the cost of reconstruction the facilities you have on your current range, and will bear the clean up cost to dismantle the current range so it is not a public nuisance when used by unauthorized/ unsupervised individuals. My best guess is that will cost him about 5 times the cost of his house and he will drop the issue. At that time you need to counter sue to recover you costs of the suit and the 20 K you needlessly spent to try to placate him. Play hard ball!

 

[MrPhil]

We've been fighting a similar battle with our local Izaak Walton range. Placation not only didn't work but backfired. It emboldened him. We've been in court for years. When he started talking to the papers it got real bad. The federal magistrate put a gag order on all of us and threatened jail time to anybody speaking to the press. That shut him up. All of our resources are going to fight this jerk. Death by a thousand cuts.

 

[paladin42]

Point out to the county that if they close the range, they could be made responsible for the cost of the clean-up.

 

[photocosmo]

Maybe you'll be able to tie this up in court for most of the remainder of the lease. Any rabid lawyers as members?

 

[mississippi revolverman]

I remember a nice ranch style house in Natchez, Ms. To his left was a sewage treatment plant, on the right was a weekly livestock auction yard. And across the street International Paper paper mill.

Never understood is choice of location