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Hearing examines grandfather‑rights claim for Fox Shooting Range; staff finds Bays 1–3 likely grandfathered, Bay 4 disputed
Summary
A long public hearing examined whether an outdoor shooting range at 2435 Steese Highway qualifies for grandfather rights. Staff said evidence supports recognition for earlier shooting lanes (Bays 1–3) but found Bay 4—constructed later with higher berms and rifle use—likely changed the character of the operation; the borough will issue its determination within 15 days.
The Fairbanks North Star Borough took testimony Aug. 21 on GR2026‑006, a grandfather‑rights request for the Fox Shooting Range at 2435 Steese Highway. Applicant David R. Dwyer Jr. asked the borough to recognize legal nonconforming status for an outdoor shooting range that has shooting lanes within a quarter mile of dwelling units. The planning department will issue a written determination within 15 days.
Staff member Miss Bingham told the hearing that aerial imagery and user letters show a shooting range in evidence as early as 2012, and that two letters from patrons supported continuous use through 2016 and beyond. "We agree that a portion of the shooting range does have grandfather rights," she said, referencing Bays 1–3. But she said the record shows later construction of a fourth bay on a different tax lot and the addition of rifle shooting and higher…
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