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Shooting range draws opposition Date published: 11/19/2009
By DONNIE JOHNSTON Overuse--especially by law enforcement groups--has put the future of an educational youth shooting range at risk. For two hours last night the Culpeper County Planning Commission heard from neighbors who claim that the Cedar Mountain Youth shooting range just off U.S. 15 has become both excessively noisy and very dangerous in the past few years. Coincidentally, according to both the Inskeep family, which owns the 130 acres where the range is located and John Dodson, who founded Cedar Mountain Youth, Inc., that is the approximate time span that police organizations have been using the facility. Of particular concern was a report by a neighbor that stray bullets have been passing over a 20-foot high berm and flying through his yard. M.A. Koebig said that the last time he complained about lead flying near his house he was told that it was a police organization on the range. The shooting range has existed since 1989 when Dodson asked the Inskeep family permission to use the property to hold hunter education classes (which had just become required by the state) and as a home for the 4-H Shooting Club. William Corbin, who lives across U.S. 15 and operates a small business there, said that the youth activity had been of little concern to the neighborhood, but that in the past several years outside groups had caused excessive noise. His son, Bill Corbin, said the facility is not just as loud as downtown Baghdad, from where he recently returned. Starting as a small youth-oriented facility, the shooting range saw no need to seek a use permit for its activities. But complaining neighbors, citing the increased use in recent years, are now demanding that the county step in. County Planner John Egerston told the Planning Commission that use has now expanded to include the Virginia State Police, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and the National Park Service. Dodson added that Fauquier, Prince William and Manassas law enforcement agencies are now also using the range for some practices and qualifications. Neither the Culpeper County Sheriff's Office nor the town police us the facility--except for individual deputies taking target practice, Dodson said. Other private individuals also shoot there. It was not these private individuals but rather law enforcement groups--sometimes using automatic weapons--that concerned neighbors. "My dog hides in his doghouse," Ellen Jones said. She added that she was afraid to take walks because she didn't "want to wake up dead." She said her biggest concern was that the facility--left unchecked--would continue to grow. The Planning Commission said there were too many issues at hand to make a quick decision and tabled the use permit application until its December meeting. It also set up a Dec. 2 (6:30 p.m.) work session to try and address some of the problems. Meanwhile, the shooting range continues to operate. Donnie Johnston:
...Culpeper County Virginia. Home of the Nations premier shooting facility. Drawing Federal, State and Civilian competition/sport, training/education. Weekly spectator events & Public ranges all contribute to the incredable economic development to Culpeper. Supervisors and planning commission members were sceptical in 2009 when the facilities were proposed, but now Culpeper is a wellspring of tourism & boon to the local hospitality industry and local busnesses. ...Ever driven by Clark Bros. on a Sunday?
Take it from me, one who engaged the county Sheriffs for years regarding two knuckle heads doing circles on the other side of my yard for hours a day for years. Its thier property and noise levels were of no relavence in the matter....aaarrrggghhh Virginia is like the wild west. Do whatever you want.
these guys should have their own range. it doesnt surprise me at all the complaints come from the use of the range by law enforcement.
if the local LEO's are using the range, the county needs to build them their own?
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