Franklin County temporarily suspends rifle‑range permit pending engineering review after neighbors report stray rounds

The Franklin County Board of Commissioners voted Oct. 15 to temporarily suspend the special‑use permit for the Great Plains Precision Rifle Range (SUP 19011646) and directed county planning staff and the range owners to work with ballistic engineers on redesigned berms and firing angles after residents and trail users reported bullets and near misses.

Pat, a Franklin County planning department staff member, told the commissioners that the original SUP was approved in February 2019 with 11 conditions and that the planning commission later recommended additional safety conditions after an engineer’s review and public comment. "Staff feels confident that the plan of action with these added conditions create a safe environment for the shooting activities that are to take place on this property," Pat said during the presentation, summarizing the planning department’s position while noting remaining public concerns.

Why it matters: The range sits roughly a mile south of a recently opened section of the Flint Hills Trail. Neighbors told the board they can hear bullets and that projectiles and bullet fragments have been found on private property. Several residents said the range’s membership and volume of use have grown far beyond levels described in the original application, prompting calls for stronger safeguards and independent engineering verification before range activity continues.

How the issue developed

County planning staff said the SUP for the Great Plains Precision Rifle Range (common address listed in county materials: 2245 K 68) was originally approved in early 2019. After complaints and a 2025 planning commission meeting attended by about 179 people and 29 speakers, the planning commission recommended a set of expanded conditions that included a requirement for engineering‑designed berms, annual inspections, liability insurance, perimeter signage, a dedicated range master on site during…