Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Shooting Range topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Neighbors urge tighter limits, fuller testing for proposed Virginia Sports Park shooting range
Summary
Residents told the Planning Commission the sound demonstrations did not reflect full operations and that the proposed hours and scale of the Virginia Sports Park shooting facility risk chronic noise and sleep disturbance. Several asked for more realistic demonstrations and a delayed decision until studies are reviewed.
On July 16 residents urged the Goochland County Planning Commission to carefully weigh proposals for a Virginia Sports Park (VSP) shooting facility, saying existing demonstrations and studies do not reflect the noise residents would experience during full operations.
Anne D'Ares (speaker 21), who lives about half a mile from the proposed range, said she and her neighbors were not notified of a prior test and asked the commission to require another test that simulates the facility firing from all proposed shooting stations. "We would want to hear a test shooting where we would be notified that it was going to happen so that we could listen for it," she said.
Multiple residents noted that demonstrations used only a subset of the planned shooting stations and therefore underestimated cumulative noise. David Sisson (speaker 27) urged commissioners to ensure the new sound study is available at least 30 days before any decision so the commission and public have time to analyze methodologies and results. "If that's all they're providing you, it's going to hide that spike," he said, warning that averaging rules may smooth brief but loud impulses such as gunshots.
Supporters of youth shooting sports, including Marcy Reese (speaker 4) and Kristen Talbot (speaker 9), said they want a community space for archery and training. "It's a sport that any age or ability can participate in," Talbot said. Other speakers emphasized that a shooting facility could be sited in a more rural location and asked the commission to weigh trade-offs between recreation and residential quality of life.
The Planning Commission did not vote on the shooting-range conditional use permit on July 16. Commissioners and staff noted the application and related sound studies remain under review and that community meetings are part of the ongoing pre-application process.
