Gun range lead concerns

mikesto44 · Saturday at 9:03 AM

We have a small public gun range. It has been in use for 50 plus years. No issues an no problems. Now because of a couple of people that moved to our area recently from California. They want it closed because of noise and lead contamination.
Any legal non violent suggestions ? Anyone else have to deal with this ?

waarp8nt · Saturday at 9:16 AM

Unfortunately, lead litigation doesn't surprise me. Since your in a liberal state (like me) you may have legitimate concerns depending on the county you live in and how far the complainant is willing to go.

I live in a liberal state, however the county I live in is very conservative. We had a similar situation, a new development moved in and put up some fancy new houses next to the sportsman club. They tried to shut the club down, but the club was there much longer than the new neighbors. The local Judge told them to pound sand, the club was there 1st and the home buyers should have thought about their purchase of a home next to an existing gun range.

BoomStick · Saturday at 10:17 AM

If safe and well-managed, I'd think the new residents can't say much...50 years so they knew it was there when they bought the property. Does the range have a lead management and reclamation plan? If not, your complainers may find a sympathetic bureaucratic agency.

Tumbledown · Saturday at 10:24 AM

Hold a fundraiser to buy them noise-cancelling headphones.

Seriously, if they didn't know of your existence before moving, that's on them or their realtor. Can't move next to a farm and then complain about the rooster.

waksupi · Saturday at 10:28 AM

Check your state laws on shooting ranges. It is nearly impossible to shut down a private range here in Montana. I registered mine with the state on advise of a deputy friend over 35 years ago.

I recall a case where a new housing development wanted a shooting range shut down. The land the range was on was zoned agricultural, so the range users put the word out they would be replacing the range with a close confinement hog farm. That was liked even less than the shooting,

wiscoaster · Saturday at 10:48 AM

I think OP has a valid concern and a lot depends on the local zoning board or commission or whatever regulates land and property use in his local area. Perhaps some informal off-the-record approach to one of the members to get their insights on what actions, if any, the board might take in the event of a formal complaint by those new residents would give some direction on what to do, if anything.

Grimord · Saturday at 3:11 PM

Our club had a similar problem. The expert soil scientist we hired for the public hearing debunked all the concerns of the lead in the ground. To appease the neighbors, and to settle before it go too expensive, the club built new sand back stops for the ranges, and every 3 years we screen the sand to remove the lead which is sold for scrap or to club members that cast their own bullets

Omahkapi'si · Saturday at 3:34 PM

Invite them out to shoot, maybe they’ll like it.

wiscoaster · Saturday at 4:05 PM

Grimord said:
Our club had a similar problem. The expert soil scientist we hired for the public hearing debunked all the concerns of the lead in the ground. To appease the neighbors, and to settle before it go too expensive, the club built new sand back stops for the ranges, and every 3 years we screen the sand to remove the lead which is sold for scrap or to club members that cast their own bullets

It's BS of course, so be prepared for your neighbors to come up with some other excuse. Except hopefully if you got this agreement in writing without sunset clause.

Trigger · Saturday at 4:06 PM

Just tell them to wear orange and have a nice day..

ernbar · Sunday at 8:34 AM

Omahkapi'si said:
Invite them out to shoot, maybe they’ll like it.

I serious doubt it otherwise they wouldn’t be complaining.
It sucks when knuckleheads like these move into an established area that has been working out fine for half a century and ruin things for others.

mikesto44 · Sunday at 8:41 AM

Thank you all for the replies. We have had two meetings so far. Both had a lot of support for the range. The two people who want the range closed . Never said a word an they only post anonymous online about the range.
The bad news is we have a new township board coming in. All liberals.!

Loyalist Dave · Sunday at 8:43 AM

mikesto44 said:
We have a small public gun range. It has been in use for 50 plus years. No issues an no problems. Now because of a couple of people that moved to our area recently from California. They want it closed because of noise and lead contamination.
Any legal non violent suggestions ? Anyone else have to deal with this ?

They don't like what the noise IS, not the noise itself. Their little snowflake minds do NOT like that it's the sound of a gun being fired.

There likely is NO law against mowing one's lawn, nor a law about how many times a week one might mow said lawn, Nor how long a person may take when mowing the lawn.

What's your point LD? AH, measure the volume of a gas lawnmower being run adjacent to the property where the complainers live. Measure the sound of the guns being fired in the distance, and compare. IF the noise from the range does not exceed that of the next door neighbor's gas powered lawn mower, then they have no case. Since a person may mow all day, every day, and that mower is louder than the guns, there is no reason the gunfire should be stopped.

JUST BE SURE the local yahoos that write the laws don't suddenly enact some stupid changes to the noise level regulations behand everybody's back.

LD

wiscoaster · Sunday at 8:49 AM

Loyalist Dave said:
They don't like what the noise IS, not the noise itself. .......

Good point. Noise complaints are almost always entirely subjective.

Reno · Sunday at 8:52 AM

The position of being there first is a good argument to bring. The same has worked for large farms also. Courts have said that the “new “ neighbors should have done their due diligence. That does not mean they won’t make you spend money. I’d get in tough with your state organization , legislators if friendly to you and the NRA for legal help if needed.

Omahkapi'si · Sunday at 9:13 AM

Montana is a nice place to live. Time to relocate.

Grimord · Sunday at 9:26 AM

wiscoaster said:
It's BS of course, so be prepared for your neighbors to come up with some other excuse. Except hopefully if you got this agreement in writing without sunset clause.

Noise was really the real issue, but we had an expert from the Sound Lab take measurements at our property lines and we were well under the state noise level requirements.

Rum River · Sunday at 9:27 AM

Where I live in Minnesota if you're able to show the range has been there long before the complaint - and after 50 years I'm sure you can do that - the final decision has a 99% chance of being in favor of the range.

Hopefully your location in Michigan is the same deal.

bldtrailer · Sunday at 10:46 AM

this is out of the libs play book (like covid) use the Health codes to push their views on others !
when they bought into the area they should have been told by their realter that a range was in the area

( lead is always present in nature,/background in trace amounts, it is mined from the ground)
(we had the same problem with a drag racing race park that had been in business for 50yrs ) people would buy in off season then complained during racing season, the courts sided with the raceway(jet dragsters really lit them up) grandfather clause
buyer beware anyone can see on a google map what's around the area
then they started complaining about the duck near the river/deer hunters noise same result in the courts ,but it cost money to defend
In short called Lawfare for a reason
the few pushing around the many

AlexB · Sunday at 11:10 AM

Omahkapi'si said:
Montana is a nice place to live. Time to relocate.

We are going full California here in Beaverhead county sadly.
Lot of Montana is lost now so make sure you do the due diligence before moving.

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