Sportsmen'9s group proposes buried shipping-container bullet traps near Lily Pond Road development

The Gilford Planning Board on March 2 reviewed safety upgrades proposed by the Belknap County Sportsmen'9s Association for its Lily Pond Road shooting ranges, including burying 20-foot shipping containers reinforced with steel I-beams as bullet traps and raising backstops to reduce ricochets and limit lead leaching.

Richard Grenier, representing the Belknap County Sportsmen'9s Association, said the facility currently features a 100-yard range with four berms and two smaller 10-yard ranges. He told the board the nearest new development is about 1,800 feet from the range across a thickly forested area and that the club'9s rear property line sits roughly 200 feet from the firing positions. The club'9s hours are 8:00 a.m. until sunset (no later than 7:30 p.m.), with weekend openings at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday and 9:30 a.m. on Sunday.

Grenier said the club now uses sand backstops (and stone dust on smaller ranges) and plans to recover bullets from the proposed traps to prevent lead from entering the ground. He said the organization follows National Rifle Association guidance and will seek an NRA review of the proposed upgrades. The board heard that stone dust can behave like concrete when frozen and that shredded rubber was considered but is expensive.

Planning Director John Ayer told the board that repair and restoration of existing backstops could be handled as an as-built site plan rather than requiring a new public hearing, though a building permit might still be required. Selectmen representative Chan Eddy said an amended site plan also could be sufficient but suggested a site visit to confirm the extent of terrain changes if additional fill is needed. The board reached a consensus that an as-built plan would likely be adequate for the proposed work.

Grenier also said the range has operated since about 1989 and that the club carries insurance; he cited "protections from noise lawsuits under RSA 159-B." Grenier reported attempts to contact abutters had not been returned and noted the nearby development is a clustered project of about 42—6 units with a homeowners'9 association (the club initially referenced 46 units in discussion).

The association said it will pursue an NRA review, continue clarifying abutter outreach, and consider minor access controls such as a gate; the board did not take a formal vote on the range repairs at the March 2 meeting.

The Planning Board adjourned at approximately 8:20 p.m.; no further action on the Lily Pond Road proposal was recorded that night.