Firing ranges draw fire in Brunswick

[Maine CWP Training]

Firing ranges draw fire in Brunswick
By Matt Hongoltz-Hetling

Apr 11, 2012

BRUNSWICK — Owners of firing ranges and their neighbors disagreed Monday on just about everything related to proposed revisions of the town's ordinance on weapons.

The changes were presented to the Town Council by Councilor David Watson on Monday.

Approximately 20 citizens spoke forcefully about whether private firing ranges should be regulated more heavily; most of those who spoke were residents of Oak Ridge Road and Bunganuc Road, which is home to one of the ranges in question.

Many said that they supported gun ownership and hunting in general, but that the noise generated by sustained target shooting sessions is diminishing their quality of life.

"It's terrifying," Jill Standish of Oak Ridge Road said. "It's not just an annoyance. It's really scary."

 

[boyscout399]

Title 30-A Sec 3011

[h=3]Regulation of sport shooting ranges[/h]

1. Definition. As used in this section, "sport shooting range" means an area designed and used for archery, skeet and trap shooting or other similar shooting sports and the shooting of rifles, shotguns and pistols.
[ 1995, c. 231, §2 (NEW) .]

2. Limitation. A municipal noise control ordinance may not require or be applied so as to require a sport shooting range to limit or eliminate shooting activities that have occurred on a regular basis at the range prior to the enactment date of the ordinance.
[ 1995, c. 231, §2 (NEW) .]

3. Expansion of activity. Nothing in this section limits the ability of a municipality to regulate noise produced by the expansion of activity at a sport shooting range.
​

The town can't limit the shooting range. They have no legs to stand on.

 

[Maine CWP Training]

These are on private homeowners property in residential areas. Not public ranges. Someone buys a house today they must abide by the ordinance.

 

[boyscout399]

These are on private homeowners property in residential areas. Not public ranges. Someone buys a house today they must abide by the ordinance.

Right, but they can't stop the people who are already shooting regularly before the ordinance was enacted.

 

[jonjon_jon]

("It's terrifying," Jill Standish of Oak Ridge Road said. "It's not just an annoyance. It's really scary.") People like Jill seem to forget that gun ownership is a consititutional right...Would she consider her right to free speech scary?

 

[MainelyGlock]

Sounds like Jill belongs down here in Portland

 

[davidmcbeth]

typical liberal BS "we support hunting"...the 2nd amendment has nothing to do with hunting

 

[Butch00]

If people would get the Federal Land Patent they would
own the land and would be excluded from any ordinance.