PORT TOWNSEND — The Jefferson County Planning Commission has recommended that all future outdoor commercial facilities be banned.
It will recommend on Monday that county commissioners allow only indoor shooting facilities for future endeavors, such as Joe D’Amico’s Cedar Hills Recreational Facility, a proposed 40-acre multi-purpose shooting range near Tarboo Lake.
Already established shooting ranges, such as the Jefferson County Sportsmen’s Association (JCSA) range — the only one now in the county — would be exempt from the requirement.
“We’re recommending that there only be approved indoor shooting ranges, sans [Jefferson County Sportsmen’s Association] that is currently outside,” said Michael Nilssen, planning commission chair.
“That one would be existing but all future and new shooting would be required to be indoors.”
Nilssen will present the recommendations at regular commissioner meeting that begins at 9 a.m. Monday in commissioners’ chambers at the Jefferson County Courthouse, 1820 Jefferson St.
That meeting is the first of two parts.
County commissioners also will conduct a public hearing on a moratorium on all permits for all shooting ranges at 1:30 p.m. Monday at the Commons at Fort Worden, 200 Battery Way.
The planning commission’s recommendations are only input; county commissioners have final say in what is included in the updated versions of Title 8 and Title 18 ordinances of the Jefferson County Code.
The revision of the ordinances is in response to the state Growth Management Hearings Board siding with the Tarboo Ridge Coalition (TRC), which has opposed the Cedar Hills Recreational Facility.
The Growth Management Hearings Board ruled on Sept. 16 that county ordinances Title 8 and Title 18 did not follow state law in regard to commercial shooting facilities.
The board determined it has jurisdiction over Title 8 and Title 18 — classifying them as land ordinances and deeming them invalid — and that the county failed to conduct a State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) review for Title 8, in violation of state law RCW 43.21C.030.
The county commissioners referred the ordinances to the planning commission for review.
The planning commission held a public hearing on the ordinances on Nov. 5 and finalized their recommendations during their Nov. 25 meeting.
The two main concerns were noise and environmental pollution that outdoor shooting ranges could create, Nilssen said.
“It’s easier to control both noise and ground water pollution if it’s an indoor facility,” McNees said.
“We didn’t make any of these recommendations based upon on what anyone is or isn’t doing currently. What we were looking at is the focus of getting something that is reasonable for the community as whole, but not restricting gun ranges.
“We felt that this was a reasonable compromise.”
There is a clear divide in the community about the impacts of this recommendation, with the TRC supporting the recommendations, while D’Amico and, separately, JCSA believe it is too restrictive and not financially feasible to build an indoor range in Jefferson County.
“We think that it’s absolutely crazy,” said D’Amico, president of Fort Discovery Inc.
“We’re hopeful that the Board of County Commissioners will not adopt the recommendations of the planning commission.”
He said his company in the meantime is continuing with septic and building permits — anything that can be done now.
“We’re continuing with what permits can be granted at this time,” D’Amico said.
The TRC asked the planning commission to adopt “bright line” regulations such as no military training, no aircraft, 500-yard setbacks from public lakes, no night shooting, eight-foot-tall security fencing and 16-foot-tall sound barriers.
Scott Freeman, president of the TRC, is happy the planning commission went further with its recommendations.
“We’re very positive about it,” Freeman said. “We’re really impressed with their logic in saying this is the best way to solve the problem of environmental impact and public safety.
“The downside is the expense. If there is demand for further ranges, how are we as a county going to afford it? That is a conversation the TRC would be happy to be involved with, to help with grant writing and fundraising or whatever it would take to make it happen.”
In addition to being the only shooting range in Jefferson County, JCSA also has many members from Clallam and Kitsap counties, who no longer have active outdoor ranges in their counties, said Don McNees, JCSA vice-president.
“In Jefferson County [an indoor range] is not a viable option economically,” McNees said. “Nobody could build the facility and run it in a rural county that only has 30,000 people.
“If you crunch the numbers for it, it’s an impossible thing to do, building an indoor facility. What [the planning commission] has done is think they have come up with a practical solution to a lot of problems, and it really isn’t and won’t allow any other range to be built in this county,” McNees continued.
“We’re not in the same business plan as Joe D’Amico, but we have to support outdoor ranges in the county. We feel like there is room for another outdoor range and it would spread the load a bit.”
The county commissioners have until March 2 to bring the two ordinances into compliance with the hearings board’s decision.
The planning commission recommendations can be read at tinyurl.com/PDN-pcnooutdoorshooting.
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Jefferson County reporter Zach Jablonski can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 5, or at zjablonski@peninsuladailynews.com.
