112910 City Council considers indoor shooting range ordinance

  • By Sharon Haught
  • November 22, 2010
  • 272
                        
Recreational marksmen and law enforcement officials alike may soon have a place to practice during inclement weather if Wooster City Council approves a proposed new ordinance establishing regulations for the operation of indoor firing ranges. During a November 15 meeting of council’s Laws and Ordinances Committee and the regular city council session that followed, council members considered an amendment to the city’s codified ordinances that establishes licensing and operational requirements for indoor firing ranges for firearms or archery equipment. The idea of establishing the ordinance was brought before city officials by Vic Schantz, who plans to convert the existing All Seasons Sports Center on Route 585 into a state of the art indoor range, self defense training center and retail sales facility for shooting sports equipment and supplies. “A lot of people are getting self defense firearms and need training of a professional kind,” said Schantz adding “where can you find a safe location, a safe place, where people can learn about self defense training and gun safety.” In addition to offering “self defense training of all kids with licensed instructors” and concealed carry training, the facility will include a public firing range for both archery and hand guns where people can rent firearms or bring their own and buy ammunition for competitive shooting sports said Schantz. According to Schantz before gaining access to the range all customers will be required to “demonstrate some type of firearms safety training. If they don’t have it they have to go through that training process.” “If they do have that training they will be permitted to buy time on the range... for practice, for training purposes or shooting sports purposes,” said Schantz. According to committee chair Mike Buytendyk local residents who have a need for an indoor range have to take their business out of town to Canal Fulton or Ashland, the closest two ranges to Wooster. “I’m excited at the thought that this is yet another business wanting to come into the City of Wooster that will not only keep dollars that are already going outside the city for this type of activity but would also bring dollars from outside the city into the city,” said Buytendyk. “It’s a business that has the potential of attracting outside dollars, which is something that is always good for local municipalities’ economies,” added Buytendyk. Barb Knapic, who represents the ward where the facility is located, is also pleased to see a new business locate in an area of town where retail businesses have been lost in recent years. “We’ve been looking to find some way to grow that commercially since we lost Hawkins Market,” said Knapic who expressed her appreciation to those businesses who have committed to staying in the area and anchoring it down. “I think it could do a lot to gown that end of our community.” Schantz expects the business “to do several million dollars in sales during the first two years and would grow beyond that.” According to Schantz while the company’s “business plan is not dependent upon income from law enforcement” it would welcome business for the local law enforcement community. According to Wooster Police Chief Steve Glick, his officers, which currently have to re-certify on the firearms they use multiple times each year, can’t use the department’s outdoor range on Prairie Lane during the winter months “so an indoor facility would obviously be very handy for us.” Boy Scout Troop 63’s Jason Anderson noted that local Boy Scout troops, who must currently travel far out of town to earn shoot merit badges will also benefit from the convenient location.


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