Garland Public Shooting Range in danger

[aerod1]

The Garland City Councilman of district #1, in Garland, TX has ask the council to review the appropriate use of the property now owned and operated by Garland Public Shooting Range. He thinks the land use may be "too intense for the area".
This range has been open since 1969, which is before it was annexed by the city of Garland. When the city annexed the land they "grandfathered" the range as a "legal, non conforming, land use". Now, all of a sudden, a council person, named Douglas Athas, of District #1, wants to close it. His email address is [email protected]. His phone number is (972)205-2121. If you email him, it is best to "copy and paste" his address onto an email. Please contact him about your opposition to his so called "review" even if you don't live in Garland. Let's let him know how we feel!!!

The Councilman sights, lead contamination, safety, and noise as being factors which may be too intense for the area. When this range was built, it was considered to be out in the country (rural). Now people have built homes around it and some want it closed....much like building close to an airport and complaining about airplanes flying overhead. It is hard for me to sympathize with those people.
He wanted to put it before the Board of Adjustment which could
instantly close it down.
This sounds like an anti gun agenda to me.
At the council work session Monday evening 4 of the council
members talked against putting it before the Board of Adjustment and
in favor of letting the gun range continue. The mayor, then using his
power, put it before a council committee for "review". This is surely
going to come up again in the very near future and my councilman
will let me know the date.
There is no lead contamination at the sight and they run a
very tight ship when it comes to safety. As for the noise, I know
someone who lived the first street up from the range and said there was NO noise issues.
This is just an attempt to close the range. It wouldn't
surprise me if there was a developer involved, seeing as the Hwy. 190
corridor is coming through that area. There are certainly more pieces to this puzzle than lead, safety and noise.
I shoot there a lot and don't want to see the range closed!
I'll try to keep everyone updated. I have already contacted
TSRA.
If you live in Garland, TX please contact your city council person and express your thoughts. Please remember politeness and decorum are always appropriate. If you don't know your council person, I can let you know who they are and how to get in touch with them by phone or email.
We are running out of good places to shoot and ranges are closing down all over Texas.
I posted this in the "THR-DFW" forums but it doesn't get much traffic.
Thanks, for any help you can give.

 

[aerod1]

WOW! No response. I sure hope some of you took the time to click on that city councilperson's email address and sent him a message. I did.

 

[Euclidean]

If this is where I think it is... isn't that range next to a garbage dump? I know that "lead contamination" and "noise" are just BS the antis have cooked up, but even if it that was true who cares? It's next to the dump!

I might be wrong. What can someone not local to Garland or the surrounding area do?

 

[Red6]

I live north of there and go to that range all the time! Holly ****, I didn't even know that was going on!

I will do my little bit the best I can.

THX for highlighting the problem.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

WOW! No response. I

Just how many people do you think live in Garland that are members of this board?

 

[dracphelan]

Well, almost 2 weeks ago I contacted him and my city councilman. The city council has already moved it to a committee which he chairs. The committee's decision is final. From the posts he has made on the Garland Citizen's Forum (a web site to discuss issues in Garland), it is a lost cause.
The forum address is: http://www.garlandcitizenforum.org/

 

[monsternav]

When the city annexed the land they "grandfathered" the range as a "legal, non conforming, land use".

Sounds like they re-zoned it when the land was annexed.

They tried that crap on us last year. Most club members saw it for what it was: An attempt to close the range (now the noise complaints are against a "non-conforming" activity, makes it easier). Noise has played a part in a few recent range closures in MD.

What we did, was turn out en masse to the council meeting. Normally these things draw like 10 people. We had about 80, just for our issue. Things like that will impress pols. They do not like PO'd voters. It tends to put them out of a cush job

Maybe you guys could do the same. Use the clubs e-mail list, if you have one, and get people to turn out to the re-zoning hearing, or the next council meeting.

Good Luck!

 

[Jmeyer1292]

Garlandite reporting! "Perky" Cox will be contacted.

 

[hso]

Sounds like a simple land grab. Which developer is he in the pocket of?

Point out that if they do this the local government will be responsible for any cleanup costs at the expense of the taxpayers before whichever property speculator get's to move in on it.

 

[aerod1]

It is better that it went to committee than the Board of Adjustment because now it must come back before the council.
Unless your email gives your home address they don't know if you live in Garland or not. This is still America and you should still be allowed to voice your concerns.

Email these guys:

Mayor Ron [email protected]
Councilman Douglas [email protected]

It is best if you "copy and paste" the addresses to an email so they can't trace it back to this forum.

Thanks for your help.

 

[aerod1]

dracphelan,

I read your comments on www.garlandcitizenforum.org and I appreciate your comments.
We must be at least as relentless as they are!
Your city councilman is very "iffy" on this issue. He may go with Doug Athas and he is also on the committee.

Thanks,

Jim

 

[22-rimfire]

Years ago I shot there when I lived in Garland. I liked the range. Have not been there in years and have always wondered how they have continued to operate the range. They used to have machine gun rentals when I lived there. The neighbors (houses) periodically complained of bullets wizzing around their homes.

My thought is that the current effort boils down to money. Land has been filling up with houses quick east of Dallas and it is not far from the relatively new parkway. I view this as sort of like the deal in Florida and in the Northeast where the cities forced land to be sold for re-development at a higher tax rate.

 

[dracphelan]

The neighbors (houses) periodically complained of bullets wizzing around their homes.

Which really funny, considering the fact that all of the firing lanes are either perpendicular to or pointing away from any nearby homes. Also, there are berms and a strip of high density woodland between the houses and the range.

This is one of my huge pet peeves about urbanization. Businesses (ranges, airports, racetracks and other high noise uses) move into a rural area so they won't disturb the neighbors. Then, people build (or buy) houses near these businesses (without checking to see if they are there), and want the businesses to go away.

 

[Test1968]

I sent my feelings

Councilman,



I have read of your efforts regarding the Garland Public Shooting Range.



I have been a member of the range since 1982, and I have always found the range to have some of the highest safety rules of the two ranges I am a member of, and it is the only one I can use my rifle at.



When I first became a member, the area was totally rural, no homes to speak within a couple of miles.



The homes that have been built up in the area had to have building permits and zoning permission from the City of Garland.



To say that this is now a safety and noise issue is nonsense. This is identical to a long existing airport having homes built nearby, and the new residents complaining about the noise.



The direction of fire is not towards these homes, and to now claim it is a safety issue, doesn’t make sense at all.



Please reconsider this proposal change and leave the Garland Public Shooting Range where it is.

 

[aerod1]

Just how many people do you think live in Garland that are members of this board

There are a few, as must have noticed by now.
I must contact everyone I can and have been posting this on every forum I can think of.
Plus you don't have to be from Garland to let your thoughts be known. This is still America and your opinions should count regardless of what part of this country you are located.

In case you are so inclined here is the info again.
Mayor Ronald [email protected]
Councilman Douglas [email protected]

Garland Citizens Forum.......www.garlandcitizenforum.org

Thanks,

 

[TX1911fan]

I am a member of their sister range in Austin, and have shot there. I sent the councilman an email, but I doubt that will help. We need the email addresses of teh other members on the committee so we can try and persuade them to vote against closure.

 

[22-rimfire]

I liked their pistol range which is what I used the most. I much prefer outdoor ranges to indoor and currently drive about an hour to one to shoot.

I would hate to see that range closed or forced to move. As has been said, folks who built there knew there was a shooting range there and chose to build. It used to be pretty far out in the country years ago and NE of the old downtown part of town.

 

[Test1968]

I just got a reply

Take it for what it is worth.



Thank you for writing.



First, there is no movement to close the gun range.



Second, there have been some reports that are related to safety and operation of the range. No one automatically assumes the validity of those reports. At this point, this is a low-level review that will be conducted by a Council committee. If legitimate concerns are identified, I would expect they would be addressed by city staff. If there are major concerns identified, the matter could be referred to the full Council. Any use that involves a high degree of safety, and I’m sure if you’re a responsible gun owner and user you agree, merits review if concerns are expressed. It would be irresponsible to simply ignore them.



Douglas Athas

972-205-2121

www.DouglasAthas.net

 

[aerod1]

Thank you for writing.



First, there is no movement to close the gun range.



Second, there have been some reports that are related to safety and operation of the range. No one automatically assumes the validity of those reports. At this point, this is a low-level review that will be conducted by a Council committee. If legitimate concerns are identified, I would expect they would be addressed by city staff. If there are major concerns identified, the matter could be referred to the full Council. Any use that involves a high degree of safety, and I’m sure if you’re a responsible gun owner and user you agree, merits review if concerns are expressed. It would be irresponsible to simply ignore them.



Douglas Athas

972-205-2121

www.DouglasAthas.net

It is NOT worth much!!!

Doug Athas is the Councilman who brought this travesty upon us. I, as well as many others, believe he is NOT our friend. I believe Doug Athas has a hidden agenda. He owns a business which closes real estate transactions for the communications industry. A lot of people believe there are more pieces to this puzzle than just safety, lead and noise. He is pushing this VERY hard!!! Don't let him trick you!!!

 

[TX1911fan]

I received this reply from Councilman Athas:

Thank you for writing.



First, there is no movement to close the gun range.



Second, there have been some reports that are related to safety and operation of the range. No one automatically assumes the validity of those reports. At this point, this is a low-level review that will be conducted by a Council committee. If legitimate concerns are identified, I would expect they would be addressed by city staff. If there are major concerns identified, the matter could be referred to the full Council. Any use that involves a high degree of safety, and I’m sure if you’re a responsible gun owner and user you agree, merits review if concerns are expressed. It would be irresponsible to simply ignore them.



Douglas Athas

972-205-2121

www.DouglasAthas.net

I didn't put much stock in this reply either. It sounds like they have had some people make up some complaints, and then regardless of what comes back from the "review", they'll say it is so dangerous it needs to be closed. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[aerod1]

We won on all three issues, which were noise, public safety and lead contamination!! The comittee meeting was at 3:30 yesterday. There was several of us at the meeting and they had to move the meeting to a larger conference room because we had to many concerned gun owners at the meeting.
The committee voted to recommend the city council NOT pursue any action against Garland Public Shooting Range!!
It's amazing what can happen when ordinary citizens get involved!!

 

[aerod1]

[Ooops!