The Haywood County Commissioners are exploring regulations for shooting ranges, which could be adopted as early as April 4. New rules would require ranges to be at least a quarter-mile away from any existing, occupied building and include a 6’ high fence surrounding the entire range, a 300’ buffer for adjacent properties, measures to prevent contamination of groundwater and soil, designs to capture wayward bullets, warning signs, on-site staff during business hours, decibel limits, and a ban on alcoholic beverages.
“You will never be able to open a shooting range in this county unless you are a millionaire,” said Eddie Cabe, a speaker at a public hearing on the proposed shooting range ordinance Monday night.
Persons with existing firing ranges may be grandfathered-in with “registration.”
Andrew Jackson, who regularly gets together with buddies to shoot on his own land, fears he could get caught up in the dragnet of the ordinance.
“We know how to do this. We don’t need a piece of paper,” Jackson said.
