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Staff proposes allowing indoor shooting ranges in Tift County industrial zones with noise and shielding standards
Summary
County staff presented an amendment to the Unified Land Development Code to permit indoor shooting ranges in Wholesale Light Industrial (WLI) and Heavy Industrial (HI) districts with supplemental standards for shielding, noise, and compliance with federal and state rules; planning staff said the Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval.
County staff on the workshop agenda asked the board to consider an amendment to the Unified Land Development Code that would permit indoor shooting ranges in Wholesale Light Industrial (WLI) and Heavy Industrial (HI) zoning districts, subject to supplemental standards limiting noise, requiring directional shielding, and requiring compliance with federal and state law.
A staff member summarized the proposal, saying the draft would add a new use to the code and add a section that requires ranges to be "directed and shielded to avoid elimination of adjacent properties" and to meet the county's noise guidelines. The staff member also told the board the Planning Commission heard the item on Jan. 8 and "voted unanimously to recommend approval." The draft says the use must be located in WLI or HI and that construction must comply with federal and state standards.
Board members and participants clarified placement and operating hours during discussion. One member asked whether ranges might operate every day; staff said placement in industrial districts was intended to limit impact on residences and that operators would largely regulate hours. Participants discussed technical controls such as sound abatement, HVAC engineering and lead-disposal requirements overseen by state and federal environmental authorities.
The transcript lists the hours of operation in the draft as "between the 07:10PM," which was unclear in the record; the board did not adopt an ordinance or take a formal vote on the proposal during the workshop. Staff emphasized that construction and environmental compliance (for example, lead disposal) are regulated by federal and state agencies, and that the county's role is focused on location, shielding and local noise limits.
What happens next: staff presented the draft as a proposed amendment and noted the Planning Commission's recommendation; no final action by the board is recorded in the workshop transcript.
