fgoodwin 23 Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 Fire away, county tells Scouts: Temporary permit for shooting range OK'd over protests http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5625406,00.html http://tinyurl.com/2zzzs6 By Ivan Moreno, Rocky Mountain News July 12, 2007 KIOWA - Elbert County commissioners on Wednesday gave Boy Scouts the go-ahead to host two weekend shooting-range events, to the dismay of neighbors who say the shotguns are too loud. The commissioners' decision went against the recommendation of their planning director and the county sheriff. They granted a temporary permit, on the condition that the Scouts conduct noise tests, limit shooting hours and give neighbors notice of their shoot-a-thons, which raise funds. "It was something that both sides kind of agreed to," said Suzie Graeff, commission chairwoman. But Jay Enyart, who lives across the street from the Scouts' Peaceful Valley Ranch, said after the meeting he was disappointed. "I feel like this was a political solution where the county commissioners wanted to cut the baby in half and what they gave us was the short end of the stick," he said. Enyart was among the residents who live near the ranch who testified before commissioners, asking them to deny the Scouts the opportunity to use a new clay shooting range. Adults dish out thousands of dollars to participate in the shoots. The watershed moment for neighbors was May 19 and 20, when neighbors said Boy Scouts held an event without warning. "It was like World War III had started, and I was on the front lines," Enyart said. The Brighton-based Colorado Clays club was soon advertising the new shooting range on the Scouts' ranch and had posted upcoming events there on its Web site, making neighbors of the ranch nervous about more noise. A Jewish summer camp, J BAR CC Ranch Camp, which is across from the Scouts' ranch, also has expressed concern about the expanded shooting range, saying the noise will interfere with religious services. The Scouts said all the money raised goes to improve and maintain camp facilities. Jeff Herman, executive director of the Denver Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, said last week the May event raised more than $200,000. The commissioners approved the temporary permit for the clay shooting range for events on July 20 and 21 and Aug. 4. The Boy Scouts must give one week's notice to neighbors within 500 feet of the event, only shoot between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., and conduct noise tests on sites approved by nearby residents. The Boy Scouts will have 30 days from Wednesday to apply for a permanent permit, when another hearing will be conducted. "I guarantee you I don't need a noise study," Enyart told commissioners. "I was there, I lived through it." -- morenoi@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2895 Link to post Share on other sites
evmori 11 Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 How close do these people live to the camp? It sounds like they are right on top of it! Our summer camp has a shotgun and rifle range. They can be heard on the Boy Scout side of the camp but not on the Cub side. And not on the roads outside the camp. Ed Mori 1 Peter 4:10 Link to post Share on other sites
GernBlansten 10 Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 I've shot at PV. The range is at the south/western most edge of the scout camp and near the highway. There are several ranch houses nearby, within ear shot of the range. I'm surprised it took this long to get a complaint. When we have our shooting camps, we shoot from 8 AM to dusk. 12 guage, black powder, hand guns and 22s. Very nice trap and skeet range and this year a new sporting clay range. Word around the campfire is the council will rent out the sporting clay range to paying outsider clubs and squeeze out the scouts from shooting there. Link to post Share on other sites
Hunt 11 Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 ""I feel like this was a political solution where the county commissioners wanted to cut the baby in half and what they gave us was the short end of the stick," he said" What a great mixed metaphor! Link to post Share on other sites
local1400 10 Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 Maybe if Mr. Enyart would donate some cash to the council, the Scouts wouldn't need to make noise to raise some funds. Link to post Share on other sites
GernBlansten 10 Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 Interesting position Local1400. Seems like extortion to me. Give us money or we'll make life miserable for you! Link to post Share on other sites
nldscout 18 Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 What you have here is poor positioning in the placement of the range. No one gave noise off the camp any thought and since this is a brand new permanent facility is kind of hard to move. I see this as a lose lose situation no matter the outcome. Link to post Share on other sites
GernBlansten 10 Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 The range has been located there for many years. The change is a new addition of a sporting clay range. The council also started to lease out the range to outsiders this year. I think this is where the rub is. Until this year, the only use of the range was scouts during summer camp and troops during the weekend off season months. By allowing outsiders in, the use of the range has drastically increased. We were also told that from now on, paying outsiders will get preference over our troops use of the range off season. Its my impression that the neighbors accepted the use by scouts, but lost their patience when BSA turned it into a commercial venture. Link to post Share on other sites
GernBlansten 10 Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 Latest scoop! Right from the third person who heard it from someone who knows someone. Actually, I heard it directly from the district shooting sports chairman. Enyart owns the ranch just to the south of the range. His hobby is rebuilding airplanes and has a grass landing strip on his property. I've seen the landing strip myself. Well, Enyart has expanded his hobby into a commercial enterprise and the county has shut him down. He is mad and when the BSA camp started becoming a commercial enterprise with leasing the range out to gun nuts, he used it as leverage to change the county zoning. He wants the BSA to win and be able to sell shooting rights so he can re-build airplanes and run a small airport. Always an agenda eh? Link to post Share on other sites
evmori 11 Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 So the noise isn't the problem! Thanks Gern! That makes much more sense! So all the crap Enyart complained about was just smoke & mirrors to get what he wanted! Hopefully the county officials will see through this ploy! Ed Mori 1 Peter 4:10 Link to post Share on other sites
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