Bel Air approves ordinance to allow indoor shooting ranges with amendments

The Bel Air Board of Town Commissioners approved Ordinance 8-41-25 on June 2, 2025, revising town code to permit indoor shooting ranges, after voting unanimously to adopt a set of amendments to the draft ordinance.

The ordinance amends Chapter 165 (development regulations) — specifically Article 7 (performance standards), Article 14 (definitions) and the permitted-use tables — to add the use category for indoor shooting ranges. Commissioners said the change fills a gap in the town’s performance standards and opens the door for potential future proposals.

During the meeting Commissioner Rutledge moved to approve the ordinance and then offered several specific amendments that the board voted to adopt. The approved amendments replaced the word “guns” with “firearms” in the third whereas paragraph on page 1; deleted a provision requiring that “adequate measures must be taken to ensure that no loaded firearms will be brought into or taken out of the building” (section D1.b); and deleted a requirement regarding the number/qualification of adult attendants on premises at all times (section D2.a.2). The board voted on the amendment package first and then on the ordinance as amended; Mr. Krantz read the roll call votes for both actions, with Commissioners Rutledge, Chismar, Taylor and Chair Eddings recording “Aye.”

No members of the public spoke during the ordinance’s public hearing. Commissioners who spoke during debate described the changes as thoughtfully drafted to align the code with possible future applicants; one commissioner said the change corrects a “missed opportunity” in the performance standards. The board approved the ordinance as amended by unanimous vote.

The ordinance will become part of the Bel Air Town Code as revised in the vote recorded at the meeting. The town did not identify any immediate applications for an indoor shooting range during the session.