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Board approves Lafayette Gun Club special-use permit for modern indoor range after neighbors press safety concerns
Summary
The York County Board approved a special-use permit allowing Lafayette Gun Club to build a new 12,600 sq. ft. indoor firing range, concluding that the application met land‑use requirements and including conditions to mitigate noise and safety. Neighbors raised reports of stray rounds in nearby yards and asked the county for closer follow-up; the board asked staff and sheriff's office to track related enforcement reports.
The York County Board of Supervisors approved a special‑use permit March 3 to allow Lafayette Gun Club to construct a new approximately 12,600‑square‑foot indoor firing range on its 26‑acre property, moving most indoor firing activity from an older nonconforming building to a modern, sound‑attenuated facility.
Planning staff summarized the application, noting the site contains legally nonconforming outdoor and older indoor ranges that predate York County's first zoning ordinance. Staff said the proposed location for the new building meets county setback standards (approximately 134 feet from the nearest property line) and recommended approval with the conditions listed in proposed resolution R2619. The Planning Commission had recommended approval 6–0.
Applicant Zev York (executive officer, Lafayette Gun Club) told the board the new facility would include modern ballistic backstops, 24/7 monitoring of air quality systems, and HEPA filtration designed to recirculate and capture particulates. York said the new indoor building and range package would be built by vendors with experience constructing ranges for federal and law‑enforcement customers. He estimated the project at about $4.5 million and said the older indoor building would be repurposed as a .22 rimfire‑only range to reduce noise impacts.
Neighbors and nearby homeowners urged caution. Greg Peterson (Brandywine Drive) and others described bullets landing near houses and pools in recent years and said they had filed police reports; they told the board they wanted to ensure county oversight and community safety. One resident asked whether moving berms or modifying range layouts would trigger additional environmental or site‑plan review. Planning staff said tonight's vote was limited to whether the special‑use permit application satisfies the county's land‑use standards; if approved, the applicant would still need to submit a full site plan and meet building‑code, fire‑and‑life‑safety, and stormwater requirements.
County staff proposed conditions to address site‑plan and technical requirements (including certified noise and structural documentation, increased berm heights, landscape buffering, a requirement to furnish documentation for range supervision personnel, and a condition requiring a NOx gate switch for emergency‑vehicle access). The board heard technical questions about berm adjustments, consultant inspections for outdoor shooting activity, and the proposed HVAC and filtration systems; the applicant said the chosen HVAC contractor uses HEPA and Department of Defense–grade capture systems with 24/7 remote monitoring.
After discussion the board voted to adopt proposed resolution R2619 to approve the special‑use permit. The roll call recorded unanimous "yes" votes from members present; the chair announced "motion carried." Supervisors stressed the permit narrowly authorizes the new indoor building and that existing nonconforming uses on the parcel would remain subject to later site‑plan and building reviews.
Chair (speaker 2) asked staff to follow up with the Sheriff's Office about the neighbor reports of bullets landing on properties and recommended continued community engagement as the applicant proceeds through site‑plan review and inspections.
Action taken: the board adopted resolution R2619 approving the Lafayette Gun Club special‑use permit as submitted, subject to the conditions described in the staff report.
