Troy planning panel grants preliminary approval for Uncoiled indoor firearms range with tree, screening conditions

The City of Troy Planning Commission on Jan. 27 approved preliminary site-plan approval for Uncoiled Firearms and Training Academy, a proposed 15,000-square-foot indoor shooting range on the south side of Ring Drive, subject to conditions requiring compliance with parking-lot tree standards and confirmation of rooftop mechanical screening.

Planning staff presented the application as an indoor commercial recreation use permitted in the IB zoning district and noted the site has been graded for prior development, that the Barnard Drain runs along the southern edge of the property and that final engineering would confirm no impacts to the drain. The applicant is proposing a single-story building of roughly 15,000 square feet, a 70-space parking lot and on-site stormwater management including pipe storage and flow restrictors.

Stuart Mullen, representing Range Development Services and the applicant Uncoiled, described the facility’s design and operations, saying the project includes three contained shooting bays with masonry walls, AR-500 steel for containment, a dedicated HVAC and filtration system to create laminar flow and remove particulate at the firing line, a pro shop, classroom and a modest event space. “The bullet trap will be designed to the caliber preferred by the ownership group, and it can handle a .50 caliber round,” Mullen said when commissioners asked about containment and allowable calibers.

Staff and the applicant told commissioners the facility would recycle brass and lead through a certified contractor who removes recyclable materials regularly; Mullen said the material is stored briefly and wheeled out to a box truck, typically after hours. The applicant also described security measures including security film on windows, roll-down gates, cameras, bollards and staff who must pass background checks and range-safety officers on the firing line.

Commission attention centered on three issues: parking counts and stall dimensions, tree placement and mechanical screening. Under the zoning ordinance the combination of uses on the site requires 42 parking spaces; the applicant is proposing 70. Staff noted the parking provision exceeds ordinance minimums. Commissioners discussed allowing the 19-foot stall depth the applicant requested (the ordinance commonly allows 17 feet) to accommodate larger vehicles and gear, and they debated whether some of the existing trees the applicant proposed along the perimeter should be relocated into parking-lot islands to meet the ordinance’s requirement of one parking-lot tree per eight spaces. Planning staff said nine trees were required by ordinance for the parking provided; the applicant has shown 10 trees total but only seven are currently located within parking-lot islands.

The commission read a resolution granting preliminary site-plan approval pursuant to Article 8 of the zoning ordinance, with conditions that include requiring at least two of the perimeter trees be placed into parking-lot islands (to meet the ordinance), clarification and confirmation of rooftop mechanical screening visibility from Ring Drive, and coordination with staff on final landscape and stormwater details. The motion was seconded by Mister Lambert and passed on a roll-call vote.

Next steps: staff will work with the applicant to resolve tree placement and mechanical screening details; if staff cannot resolve those items administratively, the matter will return to the commission for further review. Final engineering will confirm stormwater and Barnard Drain protections and the applicant must meet all applicable federal and state firearm regulations and licensing requirements prior to operations.

Actions recorded at the meeting were limited to preliminary site-plan approval; no final certificate of occupancy or business-licensing decision was made at this hearing.