Smyth County planning commission unanimously recommends special-use permit for law-enforcement shooting range

The Smyth County Planning Commission voted unanimously Thursday to recommend that the Board of Supervisors approve a special-use permit to build an outdoor law-enforcement firing range at the county transfer station at 1042 Highway 107 in Chilhowitz.

The recommendation follows a county presentation of an application and a series of public and staff remarks on safety, noise and operational controls. Chris, the county zoning administrator, told the commission the county submitted the required application, affidavit, site plan and fee and published legal notices in accordance with Virginia Code §15.2-2204. The parcel was described in the hearing record using tax-map references on file (transcript cites both "53-8-99" and an alternative reference in the legal notice). The county described the site as the former landfill area at the transfer station and said the property is in an agricultural-rural district where outdoor ranges are allowed with a special-use permit.

Smyth County law-enforcement instructors said the range would be used primarily by the Smyth County Sheriff’s Office for realistic, documented training the department says is necessary to reduce safety risks and liability. "Training is not only important for liability aspects ... but for safety," Sergeant Greer said, outlining planned training types including rural movements, vehicle stops, K9 exercises and occasional tactical scenarios.

Officials said they conducted a small sound test, inviting nearby landowners from the Stokes and Lawson families; representatives and deputies fired rounds at strategic locations and staff reported the demonstration "largely alleviated" noise concerns. Sergeant Brooks described the proposed site as a bowl with natural berming around it and provided distance estimates—the commission heard the closest nearby residence to the proposed site was roughly 460 yards, farther than several houses near existing Marion and Sawville ranges.

Residents questioned the use of gas or chemical agents in training after a complaint about an October incident near the current Marion range. Charles Lawson, who spoke during public comment, said his daughter and a 9-year-old grandchild experienced eye irritation and coughing on Oct. 8 and that emergency services were called. "My grandson asked, 'Am I gonna die? Am I gonna die?'" Lawson said, describing the event. Sheriff's office presenters said the Department of Corrections—not the sheriff's office—handled the Oct. 8 event and that any gas use at the proposed range would be limited, controlled, and typically use inert or small exposures for mask training; instructors said they would avoid gas training on windy days and would post signs and make reasonable attempts to notify nearby landowners before larger training exercises.

Safety and environmental controls described in the hearing included a locked, fenced perimeter or posted signage, DCJS-certified instructors on the range during live fire, a backstop berm designed to contain fired rounds (described as twice the target height and about 20 feet deep), and an annual soil-testing program to monitor and mitigate lead contamination.

Commissioners discussed limiting permanent access to the sheriff’s office and authorizing other town or agency users only by agreement. The planning commission’s motion recommended approval "with the conditions stated by Mr. Williams" (the zoning administrator), including that use be approved for the Smyth County Sheriff’s Office and that any additional entities be admitted only with county-administrator approval to avoid repeated special meetings.

A planning commissioner moved to recommend approval, another commissioner (identified in the record as Tony) seconded, and the commission voted unanimously to forward the recommendation to the Board of Supervisors for final action. The commission found the application met the standards in Article 6-2.3 of the zoning ordinance as read into the record.

The Board of Supervisors will receive the planning commission’s recommendation and will decide whether to grant the special-use permit at its next meeting. The file and application materials are available for public review in the offices of the zoning administrator and the county administrator at 121 Bagley Circle in Marion.