Fairview staff identify alternate site outside city limits for police training; residents voice safety concerns about live-fire range

City Manager Tom Dougherty told the Fairview Board of Commissioners at a work session that city staff have identified a potential alternate site for a planned police training facility outside the city limits, and he asked the board to allow staff to pursue securing the property and to support funding the project if the purchase is completed.

Dougherty said staff and elected officials have spent 30 days reviewing options and that the city is not “married” to the initially proposed site. He described one property on Pine Wood Road, behind a Middle Tennessee Electric substation, as fitting the department’s needs and said he obtained a verbal price from the seller. “I got a verbal quote of what he would sell the property for,” Dougherty said, adding that the site met the police department’s footprint needs and that “his tactical team, they all love it.”

The city manager said the alternative is outside the city’s limits and would require coordination with county officials, zoning approvals and formal purchase documents prepared by the city attorney. He told the board the facility would use roughly a five-acre footprint, that the city already has engineering for the planned layouts and that some costs (for example, tree removal) could differ from the originally proposed site. Dougherty asked the board for authority to continue negotiations and to support completing the training facility if the acquisition proceeds.

Commissioners voiced support for pursuing the option while noting next steps. “I’d like to see this move at a decent clip and to get a good training facility determined with a plan and a budget,” said Commissioner Hall. Commissioner Buffalani and others praised staff for the 30-day review and emphasized regional cooperation, including possible partnerships with Hickman County. Commissioners noted the proposal remains preliminary: it will need legal contracts, zoning approvals and intergovernmental arrangements before any purchase is finalized.

At least one member of the public urged the board to reconsider a live-fire outdoor range. David Goulet, who identified himself as a resident and a recently retired Navy officer, said, “Fairview should not have a live fire outdoor range anywhere near the city,” and recommended the city explore alternatives such as simulators, memoranda of understanding with military or state facilities, or shared use agreements with larger regional ranges.

Dougherty and commissioners acknowledged those concerns and said the city will continue outreach with neighboring jurisdictions, including the Hickman County Sheriff’s Office, and conduct the required land-use and contracting processes. No formal vote or purchase authorization was recorded at the work session; Dougherty’s request to pursue the property was discussed and met with verbal support from multiple commissioners.

The board closed the workshop and said the item will return for formal approvals as legal documents, zoning reviews and funding details are developed.