PORT TOWNSEND — Most of those who commented at a public hearing on outlawing new outdoor shooting ranges were in favor of Jefferson County commissioners adopting the ban.
Some 100 residents attended Monday’s public hearing conducted by the county commissioners regarding the planning commission’s recommendation that would allow only indoor ranges on commercially zoned property.
Thirty-two people spoke in favor of the recommended changes and eight people opposed it.
The changes affect county ordinances for Health and Safety (Title 8) and the Unified Development Code (Title 18) 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 — a proposed 40-acre multi-purpose shooting range near Tarboo Ridge overseen by Joe D’Amico.
The Growth Management Hearings Board (GMHB) ruled Sept. 16 that county ordinances Title 8 and Title 18 did not follow state law in regard to commercial shooting facilities.
The GMHB 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.
County commissioners are weighing five options for the ordinances, and they will begin deliberations on the options at a meeting at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Jefferson County Courthouse, 1820 Jefferson St., Port Townsend.
The Planning Commission’s recommendations are considered option four of the five options, and is the only one that the public was able to speak to on Monday. A description of the other options can be found online.
The public comments in favor of the proposal were mainly directed toward the environmental and noise impacts of outdoor shooting ranges, while those against were worried about personal liberties, with some saying that the recommendation was based on personal beliefs against guns instead of facts.
The TRC — represented by board member Peter Newland, president Scott Freeman and attorney Alex Sidles, and other members — supported the recommendation, but wanted it also to be applied to non-commercial ranges.
“Indoor ranges just make sense in a growing county like ours,” Freeman said. “Locating them in industrial and commercial zones prevents forest loss and places them in areas with appropriate infrastructure, next to compatible uses.
“The planning commission really did their homework.”
Chimacum resident Phil Vogelzang said the recommendation was “a common sense solution.
Opponents included members of the Jefferson County Sportsmen’s Association (JCSA), which is the only active outdoor range in Jefferson, Clallam and Kitsap counties.
Range master Steven Rankin of JCSA believes that the recommendation is unnecessary.
“Everything that is needed to effectively regulate new and existing gun ranges already exists in the law,” Rankin said. “This issue is about politics, not about gun safety.
“What became clear is how much the members of the planning commission intended to regulate shooting ranges to the greatest amount possible, regardless of any practical or legal considerations,” he said.
Chief range safety officer John Ebner of JCSA said the shooting range has gone though Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reviews, state reviews and other environmental impact reviews, and hasn’t had a problem. Deer are even known to walk across the range, he said.
“We don’t seem to be having an ill effect on the area,” Ebner said. “If there’s no harm, there’s no foul, and if there is no foul, there is no need for additional restrictions.”
In addition to the three-minute verbal comments, longer written statements were submitted to the commissioners.
The rough timeline for the commissioners at this point is:
• Feb. 18 — Deliberation on the options and possible adoption.
• Feb. 20 — Predicted adoption of the updated ordinances.
• March 2 — Compliance due to the GMHB.
• April 14 — Compliance hearing with GMHB.
The full recording of the public hearing can be viewed here.
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Jefferson County reporter Zach Jablonski can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 5, or at zjablonski@peninsuladailynews.com.
