Poquoson planners outline conditions, questions for proposed indoor shooting range and multi‑use facility near City Hall

Poquoson — City planning staff on Monday presented a conditional use permit application from Islander Outdoors LLC, owned by Joe Raffles, to operate a multi‑use facility at 300 City Hall Avenue that would include an indoor rifle range, a quiet range, gunsmithing and firearm manufacturing, retail sales and classroom space, and separate office space for Hampton Roads Paramotors.

Principal planner Thomas Canelo told the City Council at a work session that “the uses as described by the applicant are not permitted by right in the Village Commercial District, nor are they explicitly prohibited, and therefore require [a] conditional use permit.” He summarized a conceptual, phased development plan and the Planning Commission’s conditions, and said the Planning Commission voted 5–1 to recommend approval.

Why it matters: the proposal would place firearms‑related production, retail and recreational shooting adjacent to City Hall and other civic buildings in the Village Commercial (VC) district. Planning staff and multiple council members flagged questions about site access, parking orientation, landscaping and long‑term traffic and noise impacts that the council said should be resolved before a final vote at the public hearing scheduled for April 24.

What the plan would include: staff described Phase 1 as the central “cornerstone” portion of the building plus the northern wing. Phase 1 drawings shown to council include a partly below‑grade 100‑yard rifle bay that runs under a portion of the parking area, shorter bays…