York County planning commission continues Lafayette Gun Club special-use hearing after neighbors cite projectile escapes

The York County Planning Commission on Dec. 17 continued a public hearing on a special-use permit request from the Lafayette Gun Club for a new indoor firing range after multiple residents raised safety concerns about projectiles and shrapnel escaping the club's outdoor ranges.

Staff presented the application (resolution PC 25-26), describing a proposed ~12,600-square-foot, fully enclosed indoor range sited where the club's shotgun range currently sits, and concluded the proposal meets applicable York County zoning performance standards subject to conditions and required documentation at site-plan review. The staff report cited York County code sections governing firing ranges and noted the proposed building would be about 134 feet from the nearest property line on Purley Court and that an architect/engineer certification will be required to show range noise is not audible at the property line.

The commission’s discussion quickly shifted from the new building to longstanding neighborhood safety concerns about the club’s existing outdoor operations. Several residents, including Greg Peterson of 138 Brandywine Drive, said they had filed police reports after finding buckshot in a backyard and 9mm projectiles on private property and that debris had landed on decks and in a pool. "Since 2024, multiple police reports have been filed documenting bullets and shrapnel escape in the Lafayette Gun Club," Peterson told commissioners, and he urged denial or strict conditions including independent engineering audits, continuous incident monitoring, and permanent prohibitions on lanes that risk projectile escape.

Other neighbors said county response to incident reports had been slow, and that club officials had been unresponsive to repeated outreach. Sandra Culver said shrapnel damaged her siding and patio and that deputies took more than a week to respond after her initial calls. Dr. Megan McGavin, who runs a therapy facility near the club, told commissioners the site is adjacent to outdoor sensory classrooms used daily by children with special needs and asked for additional berming to protect users.

Zev York, a club board member, described safety measures at the volunteer-run, membership-only club, including updated baffles and a robust range safety officer program. York said the proposal would move much activity indoors and that the club self-limits membership to avoid increased use. "We are membership only... We do not need to grow," York said in response to a commissioner’s question about whether the new facility would increase clientele.

Commissioners split the issues: many said the new, fully enclosed indoor range itself raised fewer technical objections, but they stressed the commission could not ignore evidence of projectiles striking nearby properties. Several commissioners recommended the club meet directly with neighbors and consider additional berming, monitoring, or engineering reviews. To allow time for that engagement the commission voted to continue the public hearing on PC 25-26 to Jan. 14, 2026, and retain the public comment record for that continued hearing.

The continuation preserves staff’s record and the applicant’s site-plan obligations; if the club returns with additional mitigation commitments, the commission may consider them before making a final recommendation to the Board of Supervisors.

Next procedural step: the public hearing for PC 25-26 will reconvene on Jan. 14. The commission encouraged the Lafayette Gun Club to meet with neighbors prior to that date.