Company proposes 1,000‑acre military and public shooting range south of Stuart

Mike Stein and Cody Bristol of Guardian Global Solutions presented a plan to the Houston County Commission to build a roughly 1,000‑acre range and training complex south of Stuart, with about 500 acres reserved for government and law‑enforcement training and the remainder open to the public for shooting and instruction.

The proposers said the facility would support military units that now travel long distances for specialized training, provide on‑site lodging for rotating groups, and host public events and competitive matches that could draw visitors from across the Southeast. “We’re looking to partner with local groups, provide very high quality training, self‑defense classes, long‑range shooting,” Mike Stein said. Cody Bristol, who described several years of active duty and special‑operations training experience, said the closest comparable facility his unit used was more than eight hours away.

Commissioners and staff pressed the presenters on safety, noise and environmental mitigation. Stein said the company plans to work with an experienced construction and instruction management firm to design berms, backstops and other measures so rounds cannot “shoot up and out,” and that lead‑mitigation and other environmental controls would be addressed during permitting and design. He acknowledged the range would be loud and described noise mitigation and scheduling strategies to limit late‑hour live fire and demolition training.

Commissioners asked about local impacts: the nearest residences are about a mile from parts of the tract, Stein said; the property is currently a large timber tract near West Maple; the proposers expect increased hotel stays and traffic during events. Bristol said the facility would hire locally where possible and initially expected to house roughly 50 personnel on‑site for training units, with plans to scale staffing as operations grow. The company said it would accommodate state and local law enforcement and fire department training and make space available to high school shooting teams.

Sheriff’s Office or law‑enforcement representatives present did not object; one official who spoke in support said the proposal could bring training opportunities to local agencies. Commissioners did not take a vote on the proposal; presenters asked to stay in contact with county staff as they advance site acquisition and permitting.

The proposal remains conceptual: the company said it has not completed all environmental or noise studies and will provide additional details as permit and land‑use work proceeds.