Time for some new County commissioners

[Tim Nunan]

http://www.citizentribune.com/news/view ... icle=10160

Open range? Commissioners express concern over outdoor shooting ranges
By Bobbie Young, Tribune Staff Writer

Hamblen County commissioners approved strict limits on shooting ranges Monday and may make them even stricter, particularly for outdoor ranges.

"I'd like to do away with outdoor ranges completely," said Herbert Harville, chair of the County Commission’s Public Service Committee.

The committee voted unanimously to send proposed regulations to the full commission for approval at next week’s meeting.

The county currently has no regulations governing commercial shooting ranges and one recently opened in the county, upsetting some neighbors.

Some action is necessary and soon, Commissioner Dennis Alvis said.

"I'll bet Grainger County wishes they'd done something before this canned hunt thing came up," he said.

A property owner in Grainger County has imported exotic animals such as zebra and watusi to be hunted on 60 acres of property.

The regulations coming from the County Planning Commission would have allowed outdoor ranges on any property zoned A-1 or agricultural but indoor ranges only in commercial zones. That just didn't make sense, Commissioner Paul LeBel said.

"Any commercial business should be in commercial zoning," he said.

Under the regulations from the Planning Commission, an outdoor range would have to be located on a minimum of 10 acres and surrounded on all sides by agricultural zoning. The minimum distance from the firing stations to adjacent property lines would have to be 1,000 feet on the front and sides and 500 feet on the rear of the property.

An outdoor range could be no closer than a mile from existing schools, churches, nursing homes or childcare facilities.

LeBel moved that any outdoor range would also have to be located on property zoned for commercial use.

The regulations from the Planning Commission would also have allowed an outdoor range to open at 30 minutes after official sunrise and close 30 minutes before official sunset.

"That’s just stupid," LeBel said. "We could have people shooting off guns outside from 6:30 in the morning until 8:30 at night."

He moved that operation of outdoor ranges be limited to no earlier than 11 a.m. and no later than 4 p.m. Alvis quickly seconded the motion.

LeBel, like Harville, doesn't like the idea of outdoor ranges.

He asked County Mayor David Purkey, "As a former law enforcement professional, which is safer? Indoor ranges or outdoor?"

"Indoor," Purkey answered.

The committee voted to amend the proposed regulations with LeBel’s suggestions, limiting the hours of operation and requiring commercial zoning for all shooting ranges. Commissioners also asked County Attorney Rusty Cantwell to research the issue and let them know if they can outlaw outdoor ranges entirely.

The proposed regulations apply only to commercial enterprises and would not affect fundraising activities such as turkey shoots or private hunting.

"You can shoot as many rabbits as you want," Harville told one concerned citizen Monday.

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Isn't that nice... Harville will still let us shoot rabbits; but no outdoor ranges. This action is all because Mr. Greene (see our August meeting speaker) applied to open a range.

[Tim Nunan]

This is a follow-up for Hamblen County members on the gun range issue that was on the Planning/Zoning Commission's January meeting agenda. Lakeway TFA chapter member Gary Douthat was able to attend both the February Planning commission meeting and the County Commission meeting and provided his observations below.

As you can read below The County Commission took action on their own and pass something that will virtually stop any handgun outdoor firing range in Hamblen county. It was bad enough that they restricted to ranges only used for handgun carry permit classes but the allowable operating times( twice a month, 12:01 PM to 5 PM) and only in Commercial zone 1 virtually insures that no handgun outdoor range will ever be approved.

According to the rag passing for a newspaper in this county we could be reassured by Commission Stancel Ford's comment that the regulations apply only to handguns. "It's got nothing to do with long guns, period." I'm guessing Stancel tossed that out to make the members of the shotgun club feel ever so much safer about their firearms; and of course the 'hunters'.

Remember who these anti-gun people are at the next county election, Herbert Harville, Paul LeBel for sure based on their published comments in the local fiswapper. There may well be others that need to be replaced.

Tim

Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:11:17 -0800 (PST)
From: Gary Douthat
Subject: Re: Planning Commission update
To: Tim Nunan <bentcreek@outdrs.net>

A2 zoning was shot down at the zoning commission meeting. Until it's brought back up, we are done with that. If it comes back without the "firing ranges" in it, it will probably pass.

Just returned from the full commission meeting.
The county commission passed an act allowing for outdoor firing ranges for the purpose of handgun permit training in C1 Zones. Of course they had their requirements.
Only myself and one other individual spoke out about the proposal. I objected to an item that put a restriction on locating it within 1 mile of a church, school, nursing home, or day care facility. There appear to be no C1 properties that meet those requirements, so effectively there can be no ranges. There were other restrictions just as asinine.

It is the county attorneys opinion that if you put up a target and shoot at it you have created a range. That being said, any outdoor firing range other than what they did above, is a violation of the county zoning ordinances as written.

That's it in a nutshell.


--- On Thu, 2/19/09, Tim Nunan <bentcreek@outdrs.net> wrote:

> From: Tim Nunan <bentcreek@outdrs.net>
> Subject: Planning Commission update
> To: "Gary Douthat"
> Cc: "Bill Kaylor" <w9dsm@charter.net>
> Date: Thursday, February 19, 2009, 3:58 PM
> Gary,
>
> First I thank you for the great and interesting information
> on Cowboy Action Shooting. I know the members enjoyed it.
>
> I was hoping you could write up a short recap of what
> occurred at the February Planning Commission meeting
> regarding A-2 zoning and any other comments made that might
> affect Hamblen County gun owners. I think I heard you say
> that the County Attorney state the opinion that shooting
> isn't currently allowed any where in the county because
> no zoning description states shooting as an "acceptable
> use"; Did I understand that correctly?
>
> Tim