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Sheriff’s office pushes for shooting-range site study; board debates third‑party review and on-site tests
Summary
The sheriff requested permission to pursue a shooting-range/training facility. Board members discussed possible Bentonville and ESA Lane sites, third‑party consultants, local volunteer site surveys (including a county contractor offering free site work), sound testing, and whether a paid study or internal reconnaissance is preferable.
The Warren County sheriff’s office renewed a request for a county-supported training/shooting-range site during the Nov. 12 joint session, and board and planning commissioners spent an extended segment evaluating options and procedures.
The sheriff’s office has evaluated several candidate sites, including Bentonville and an ESA Lane property. Board members and planners debated whether the county should hire an outside consultant to do a formal site study and sound testing or first allow county staff and qualified local contractors to do reconnaissance and clearing to permit preliminary sound tests. One planning commissioner who is a professional excavating contractor offered to do low-cost clearing and preliminary staking at no charge to allow calibrated sound meters and a professional follow-up assessment if initial tests show promise.
Concerns raised included safety setbacks, potential sound and splash effects, topography, and community acceptance. Commissioners and board members pressed for clear procedures and calibrating testing equipment; one planner noted that sound will often measure lower after the permanent berm and range construction are in place, and urged practical, phased steps: initial free or low-cost reconnaissance and sound tests, then commissioning a paid, professional study only if early results support moving forward.
Participants emphasized timeline pressures because deputies need training; some argued for a modest, fast, interim solution rather than waiting years. The board directed staff and interested commissioners to coordinate a site walk, clear limited vegetation where appropriate, and identify parameters for a professional sound test and, if warranted, a formal third‑party study. No final site selection or appropriation was approved at the work session.
