Ada County tables controversial shooting‑range appeal after hours of testimony

The Ada County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday deferred a final decision on a contested conditional‑use permit for shooting‑range facilities on the 7 Gates property after an extended public hearing that included competing acoustic studies, agency comments and dozens of residents' statements.

Staff had urged the board to reverse the Planning & Zoning Commission's approval, telling commissioners that the record did not contain substantial evidence to support required findings for the permit. Richard, the county planner presenting the staff case, told the board the property contains multiple constructed shooting facilities and that the conditional‑use application authorized only three of those sites; "the record ... does not clearly demonstrate compliance" with the county's shooting‑range standards, Richard said.

Appellants — local landowners and residents living in Hidden Springs and Rolling Hills — described recurring, impulsive gunfire audible inside homes and on trailheads and urged denial because the property lies within a mapped deer winter range. Civil‑engineer and appellant Steven Grama said the application covered only "about 40% of the shooting range activity on the property" and argued the county never had the full scope of operations it needed to evaluate impacts.

The property owner and manager, Michael Forsyth, disputed those claims. Forsyth said the operation had obtained technical input from relevant agencies and submitted sound studies showing measured levels below legal thresholds; he called the facility a private, invite‑only training site and argued that Idaho law limits local noise regulation for firearms. "The sound levels recorded and analyzed ... were well below the legal threshold," Forsyth said.

The hearing included an independent acoustic presentation by Sarah Taubitz of Altitude Acoustics, who summarized a draft measurement study conducted at off‑range locations. Taubitz reported that the sampled hourly LAeq and instantaneous Lpeak values did not exceed the cited state and Army criteria at the measurement points, but she warned that an hourly average metric can under‑represent the perceived disturbance caused by impulsive gunshots.

Residents opposing the permit cited additional concerns: wildfire risk on dry foothills, potential impacts to bird and deer habitat, claims of increased insurance cancellations, and uncertainty about peak operational intensity and the number of shooters. Supporters — including Valiance participants, veterans, and private‑land advocates — emphasized safety protocols, limited schedules and the value of invite‑only training for community and school security.

After public testimony and legal discussion, the board voted unanimously to table the appeal to its April 7 open business meeting so commissioners and county counsel can review new materials entered into the record. The board did not make a substantive ruling at the hearing.