Public hearing for new shooting range on Smallwood Church Road

[BMW]

http://www.charlescountymd.gov/public-notices/st-charles-sportsman%E2%80%99s-club-special-exception

 

[epps1919]

I will be there to help out the SCSC.

 

[deMontjoie]

Wishing you-all the best of luck.

 

[byf43]

 

[traveller]

Unfortunately, I am out of town that day. We need a couple of people who live in the west county to show up in a suit, put their name on the 'members of the public' sheet and add their 2min comment.

Arguments that may work:
- a properly designed range is the safest place to shoot
- this will improve hunting safety
- great opportunity to introduce young people to gun safety
- minimal noise impact to surrounding properties
- it will bring people to the west county with some spinoff business to surrounding businesses

I hope this happens.

 

[nutz]

Arguments that may work:

- minimal noise impact to surrounding properties
- it will bring people to the west county with some spinoff business to surrounding businesses

I hope this happens.

Minimal noise - Why is it going to be an indoor range? Otherwise, how ?

There are no surrounding businesses to gain "spinoff"- rural conservation district is not amenable to big business and high traffic flow.

 

[traveller]

Minimal noise - Why is it going to be an indoor range? Otherwise, how ?

The proposed site is a 320acre parcel bordered by 60-250acre parcels of undeveloped woodlands. The noise impact is going to be limited as the trees dont care much.

There are no surrounding businesses to gain "spinoff"- rural conservation district is not amenable to big business and high traffic flow.

Other than the Lackey pool, there is really no other reason for someone to go to that corner of the county. The only local businesses are a couple of bars and barbecue stands.

 

[nutz]

The proposed site is a 320acre parcel bordered by 60-250acre parcels of undeveloped woodlands. The noise impact is going to be limited as the trees dont care much.



Other than the Lackey pool, there is really no other reason for someone to go to that corner of the county. The only local businesses are a couple of bars and barbecue stands.

Your two points are interesting. The proposed site is "technically" between two subdivisions - Rison Acres and Smallwood Estates. Noise will be an issue.

So the spinoffs that will benefit are bars and bbq joints? A few beers and a pork chop sandwich before the shooting range are not a good plan. After the range, still not a benefit to the residents of the area.

 

[traveller]

Your two points are interesting. The proposed site is "technically" between two subdivisions - Rison Acres and Smallwood Estates. Noise will be an issue.

I haven't seen the actual site plan as to where they are planning to put the range itself. But if there is a place in charles county where you can be away from civilization, that piece of land would be it (at least for now, by 2030 it'll all be subdivisions).

So the spinoffs that will benefit are bars and bbq joints? A few beers and a pork chop sandwich before the shooting range are not a good plan. After the range, still not a benefit to the residents of the area.

Nothing wrong with some smoked dead meat before shooting, you can save the beers for afterwards. I wish there was something else to do, but that entire area is on a long painful way down for quite a while now.

 

[nutz]

I haven't seen the actual site plan as to where they are planning to put the range itself. But if there is a place in charles county where you can be away from civilization, that piece of land would be it (at least for now, by 2030 it'll all be subdivisions).



Nothing wrong with some smoked dead meat before shooting, you can save the beers for afterwards. I wish there was something else to do, but that entire area is on a long painful way down for quite a while now.

Not seeing the plan is a big part of everyone's problem. The SCSC hasn't gone out of their way to "show" what their plans are. Keeping it all on the hush-hush was probably designed to keep public opinion at a minimum until after the meeting. No, it won't all be subdivisions, hence the rural conservation identifier. A lot of the lands on that side of the county are being "traded" through the TDR program to help build out Waldorf and LaPlata.

[/quote] I wish there was something else to do, but that entire area is on a long painful way down for quite a while now.[/QUOTE]
You mean things like raising produce, corn, hay, cows, pigs, horses, a family plus fishing and hunting? Insignificant to some, to others, a great way of life. And you can't do those things with more growth. People move out to these areas to "get away from" things but then want street lights, sidewalks and 7-11's. Next thing they know, they want to move to get away. They ran from Waldorf to King George and that didn't help them, traffic and more development followed them.

 

[traveller]

Not seeing the plan is a big part of everyone's problem. The SCSC hasn't gone out of their way to "show" what their plans are. Keeping it all on the hush-hush was probably designed to keep public opinion at a minimum until after the meeting.

I believe the site-plan along with the zoning staffs report is available for the asking at PGM. You have to show up in person and I didn't have time to hoof down there last week.

No, it won't all be subdivisions, hence the rural conservation identifier. A lot of the lands on that side of the county are being "traded" through the TDR program to help build out Waldorf and LaPlata.

All it takes is a different set of yokels in Annapolis and the zoning goes back to 1/8th acre lots from the current 10. Zoning is not static, it is a result of laws and plans which are changeable. This land is close enouth to the Mattawoman creek sewer plant, give it some time, a US population of 380mil and the right political change at the federal and state level and it'll all be mc-mansions.

You mean things like raising produce, corn, hay, cows, pigs, horses, a family plus fishing and hunting?

Nothing wrong with that, and you are probably right for stuff another 2-3 miles down the road from there.

I was thinking more of west-county in general. First the base got bracced away (well, its still there but the giant influx of facilities and projects never happened) then the gutless county commissioners allowed the cross-county connector to die effectively scrapping the industrial park and the Bryans Road sub-plan.

 

[Parshooter]

Best of luck to you at SCSC- I believe there is always a need for well planned places to shoot safely, and I would like to see a place like Sanner's closer to home where there might be competition open to the public. I recently got my first taste of competition in a pistol league at Fred's and loved every minute of it (I know, mentioning that is like swatting a hornet's nest on a hot summer day, you'll get something stirred up). But I digress...
Anyway, as a former member of SCSC (some years ago and I didn't feel welcomed as I only knew my sponsor) I think that the idea is a good one and again, wish you all the best.

 

[nutz]

Nothing wrong with that, and you are probably right for stuff another 2-3 miles down the road from there.

wrong answer skippy, there are existing farms and houses closer than that. There's a hay field and houses directly across the street. There's a small housing development on the corner of Smallwood Church Road and 224.

 

[Mike OTDP]

Here are your selling points:

1. People are going to shoot recreationally. Never mind hunting, shooting is an Olympic sport (as opposed to many varieties of moneyball).
2. A properly designed shooting range is the safest place to shoot, as it is designed to allow no bullets to escape the range.
3. If they have nowhere to shoot safely, they will shoot where it is not safe to do so.
4. Therefore, as a matter of public safety, maximum support should be given to the construction of a range.

 

[deMontjoie]

Here are your selling points:

1. People are going to shoot recreationally. Never mind hunting, shooting is an Olympic sport (as opposed to many varieties of moneyball).
2. A properly designed shooting range is the safest place to shoot, as it is designed to allow no bullets to escape the range.
3. If they have nowhere to shoot safely, they will shoot where it is not safe to do so.
4. Therefore, as a matter of public safety, maximum support should be given to the construction of a range.

Excellent points, Mike.

And talk to your Sheriff about this issue. I guarantee that he is in agreement with these VERY selling-points that you just raised.

Of course, the range needs to be well-designed so as to address "sonic pollution" and ballistic escapes, and this is not cheap. But it is essential.

 

[Trumpet]

So, how'd it go? Any updates?

 

[haoleboy]

I was there and it didn't go well for SCSC. About 50 people testified, 40 of them against. Testimony went well past the timeline and the hearing will be resumed on 06/10/14.

 

[byf43]

I was there and it didn't go well for SCSC. About 50 people testified, 40 of them against. Testimony went well past the timeline and the hearing will be resumed on 06/10/14.

Hmmmmmmmmmm.... don't like the sounds of that.

Kinda reminds me of when we were going to buy some land in Nanjemoy.
Several people showed up and complained that they'd lose the use of the (Private) land that they had used for their own hunting property (illegally) and were going to lose the use of it.


We backed out of the purchase, because of the Blue Heron Rookery, nearby.

 

[deMontjoie]

I was there and it didn't go well for SCSC. About 50 people testified, 40 of them against. Testimony went well past the timeline and the hearing will be resumed on 06/10/14.

Too bad.

Starting an outdoor range is extremely difficult, primarily due to the noise concerns. Firearm noise can travel miles depending on weather conditions. And pretty-much anybody within the noise radius can block your efforts.

If you want to still pursue this, I suggest that you might wanna talk to Clark Vargas and/or the NRA's Range Development Office.

Was the opposition from any organized groups? If you can engage with the community groups ahead of time to gain support, that could make all of the difference. Church groups, scout groups, 4H groups, the Sheriff's Dept, and such could be your allies.

 

[Rob Jones]

The people in that area are very anti-development.