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Residents urge limits on noise from Fuller Mill Road gun range; county says rules can’t be retroactive
Summary
Residents told the Randolph County Board of Commissioners they want the county to amend its Unified Development Ordinance to limit gun-range noise to 65 decibels at property lines. County officials said the range was approved years ago by the Planning and Zoning Board and that new rules generally cannot be applied retroactively.
Residents near 1085 Fuller Mill Road urged the Randolph County Board of Commissioners to require the Triad Action Shooting Club to limit noise after multiple speakers described daily, disruptive shooting sounds.
The speakers asked the board to amend Randolph County’s Unified Development Ordinance to treat the gun range as a nonconforming use and to limit sound from shooting activity to 65 decibels at any property line.
Steve Thayer, a nearby resident, said the range creates a “constant barrage of noise” across 26 acres and that animals and neighbors are being disturbed. “It sounds like a war zone,” Thayer said. Fritz Wang, another area resident, told the board that follow-up after a February meeting with county officials has been minimal and urged commissioners to act. “By regulating and limiting the noise from the gun range, you can restore and protect the health and well-being and the rights of your constituents,” Wang said.
Commissioners and staff said the county had previously reviewed the site and that the Planning and Zoning Board approved the range many years ago. A commissioner noted that the county’s investigation found that any new zoning rules would generally not be applied retroactively to an existing, approved use. “Our investigation shows that any new rules can’t be retroactive,” the chair said.
No formal amendment or motion to change the Unified Development Ordinance was taken at the meeting. County staff said they had met with residents earlier and had considered possible actions but provided no timeline for further steps. The public comment portion of the meeting was limited under the board’s rules; residents said only a handful of neighbors attend meetings and asked the board to account for others who may not be present.
The board did not vote on the requested UDO amendment. Commissioners did not indicate a formal next step on the record beyond noting past approvals and the legal limitation on retroactivity.
The exchange occurred during the public-comment period of the March meeting of the Randolph County Board of Commissioners.
