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Springville residents say indoor shooting range closure hurt youth programs; council pledges to explore options
Summary
Coaches and young shooters told the Springville City Council the indoor range closure has disrupted training, scholarship pathways and competitions; council apologized for communication gaps and asked staff to convene a small committee to seek short-term and long-term solutions.
Shane Nielsen, a shooting coach for the Springville Junior Rifle Club, told the Springville City Council the closure of the city’s indoor shooting range in the 2023–24 season has “cut off a path for young athletes” and cost opportunities for scholarships and competitions.
“My kids all went through and shot with the club…we had national champions come from our little range,” Nielsen said during the public-comment period, urging the city to help find a 20-by-40-foot space where an air-rifle program could operate and to consider modest equipment support.
Other speakers backed Nielsen’s plea. Josh Sensinger, who said he is not a Springville resident but has worked with local ranges, asked the city to revisit a health-exposure number quoted from Utah Trust and to treat exposure as a time-weighted average for infrequent users. Kempton Nord, a junior competitor, said the closure prevented him from competing at the 2025 Junior Olympic air-rifle nationals and warned that losing the range reduces recruitment and scholarship prospects.
Council members responded by apologizing for communication failures and proposing an exploratory approach. The mayor and other councilmembers suggested forming a small committee or task force, led by recreation staff, to meet with community members and evaluate short-term alternatives such as using gyms or classrooms for air-rifle events while the city works through cleanup and long-term facility options. The council asked speakers to provide written details and contact information so staff can follow up.
The council did not adopt a formal resolution at the meeting; rather, members publicly committed to continued dialogue and to convening staff and volunteers to identify potential interim facilities and steps to reopen or replace the indoor range.
The council’s next procedural action on the topic will depend on the task force’s findings and any formal recommendations brought back to a future agenda.
