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Nevada County OKs $16.8 million first phase for regional indoor firearms training center
Summary
The Board of Supervisors approved a phased contract to design and build an indoor firearms training facility at the countydispatch and training campus, authorizing $16,833,500 for phase one and seeking federal earmark support for a second phase.
Nevada County's Board of Supervisors on Sept. 9 authorized a phased contract to design and build a regional indoor firearms training facility at the county's dispatch and training campus, approving $16,833,500 for the first phase and seeking congressional earmark funding for a second phase.
The Sheriff's Office presentation said the indoor range will allow required law-enforcement firearms training year-round and provide additional scenario-based and low-light training now limited by the county's outdoor and offsite ranges. "Training is necessary. It's required by law," Captain Sean Scales told the board, citing POST and Bureau of State and Community Corrections standards.
The board was shown a 12-lane, 50-yard indoor range design with rotating and running-man targets, a vehicle bay for vehicle-stop training, a 30-person classroom, armory and firearms-cleaning stations, and a filtration system to limit lead exposure. Georgette, the county finance lead on the project, told the board Phase 1 costs total $16,833,500, primarily for the range itself, with $3,175,000 included for site reorientation, parking and underground utilities. Phase 2, which would move forward only if a federal earmark is approved, was presented as $2,343,000; the total project estimate presented was $19,176,500.
Sheriff's Office leaders and range instructors said the new facility would reduce the logistical burden of sending staff 40plus minutes to an outdoor range, allow more frequent and realistic training, and create a regional asset other agencies could rent. Undersheriff Sam Brown said the facility also supports recruitment and retention by offering regular, higher-quality training close to work sites.
Officials acknowledged community concerns about noise, lead contamination and construction impacts and said those issues are being addressed in the design and environmental review. Scales said the range will "meet and exceed all noise requirements" and described multi-stage filtration, periodic lead-remediation in the rubber bullet trap, and maintenance costs the county expects to offset partly through revenue from other agencies using the facility.
County staff outlined a timeline that begins site work in mid-2026, with commissioning and occupancy projected for SeptemberOctober 2027 if approvals and funding proceed on schedule.
The board voted unanimously to adopt a resolution authorizing a contract with the selected design-build firm to proceed with a phased approach: Phase 1 authorization ($16,833,500) and conditional Phase 2 pending congressional earmark ($2,343,000). Board members asked for continued outreach to nearby residents and regular updates on environmental reviews, operating costs and usage plans.
The vote followed public comment from residents who raised concerns about the project's cost, location, animal impacts at existing ranges, and law-enforcement actions more generally. County staff and the sheriff's office said the project had been discussed through the county's capital and budget processes and that the Sheriff's Office would continue community engagement as design and environmental review proceed.
