The request for a Special Use to relocate a shooting range from another county to a piece of property on Ule Trail in Polk Township was denied during last week’s Marshall County Board of Zoning Appeals meeting.
Dan Burch, an ISP Trooper told members of the BZA he would like to locate his current shooting range training business, Hoosier State Training to the purposes 22.5 acre site in an agricultural zone.
County Plan Director Ty Adley, the staff and Technical Review Committee recommended approval of the site with conditions: 1.) address the backstop and 2.) hours of operation from dawn to dusk and 3.) only use of legal firearms.
During the board determination members asked if Burch intended to build a home on the property and he said no. When asked about night shoots he said he would like to offer night training a few nights a year and he would be done by 10 p.m. When asked if the shooting range was for officers Burch said it was for use by his customers, by invitation only, clarifying…”it’s not a public range.” In the business plan Burch said he would be open two to three Saturdays a month typically from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and night shoots would end at 10 p.m.
During the Public Hearing five people spoke against the shooting range and a petition with 16 signatures was presented to the BZA. There were also 4 letters of opposition read into the record. Those opposed sited their concern of the noise, affect on the shooting on farm animals, safety factor, property values and proximity to Walkerton.
After additional discussion, the suggestion was made of seeking another location because of the noise in the populated area. The board voted 4 to 1 to deny the Special Use for the shooting range.
