Scouts' firing range irks residents

[scottteng]

Scouts' firing range irks residents

Neighbors say clay shooting events disruptive

 

 

By Ivan Moreno, Rocky Mountain News

July 7, 2007

ELBERT - Neighbors say the Peaceful Valley Scout Ranch is anything but that.

 

The realization came after an explosion of shotgun blasts from the camp in May, when Boy Scouts held a two-day clay shooting fundraiser.

 

"It sounded like Hamas had a training camp next door," said Elbert County Sheriff William Frangis, who fielded numerous calls from people who live near the ranch.

 

The Scouts say no one complained to them.

 

Although the camp has had a shooting range for rifles and shotguns for years, noise has not been an issue until now.

 

Neighbors say part of their frustration is that the Scouts only notified them of the event with the sound of the guns, and they never applied for permit from the county.

 

"They didn't talk to anyone; they just did it," said 75- year-old John Dunn, a former Elbert County commissioner and 44-year county resident who lives about a quarter mile from the Scout camp.

 

"The noise was unbelievable," Dunn said, adding that it was enough to scare the elk, deer, and birds in the vicinity. "We haven't seen them since."

 

The Scouts have planned five more fundraising events from July through August, but they're waiting for a permit from the county commissioners to continue using the clay shooting range. The commissioners will hear their case Wednesday.

 

But while there's a cease-fire for now, residents fear more events like the one held May 19 and 20 will not only disturb their peace but will bring down the value of their properties.

 

And Dirk Bird, director of the J BAR CC Ranch Camp, a Jewish summer camp across the road, said he's worried that if fundraising events persist on weekends they will "adversely impact our religious services."

 

Then there are safety and environmental concerns.

 

Frangis said in a letter to commissioners that the fundraisers the Scouts planned this year potentially could scatter thousands of pounds of lead from shotgun shells. He also said people have been seen smoking near stockpiles of ammunition at the camp.

 

Jeff Herman, executive director of the Denver Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, said he met with neighbors Monday and he's trying to reach a compromise. He also learned at the meeting that residents' frustration had been pent up for some time.

 

"Many of them told me that they had been unhappy for a long time, but to be good neighbors they simply didn't tell us," he said.

 

Dunn said he can't put up with the shooting because it's become a commercial operation in the form of the Brighton-based Colorado Clays shooting club.

 

But Herman denied any affiliation with the club, even though the Colorado Clays' Web site in May boasted the grand opening of the Scouts' new shooting range surrounded by "pines, mountain valleys, lakes, and meandering streams."

 

Richard Miller, director of Elbert County's Planning Commission, said the May event involved the Colorado Clays, and so do future events, which were also posted on the group's Web site in May.

 

Herman said the Boy Scouts contacted Colorado Clays and asked them to remove the information from their Web site "because it was inaccurate."

 

Herman said neighbors are asking the Boy Scouts to stop all shooting activity at the range.

 

He said he's willing to accommodate the times when shooting can take place, but won't agree to stop shooting altogether.

 

"This certainly cannot be an all-or-nothing proposition," he said.

 

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5619407,00.html

[evmori]

I love stories like these! Too loud! No one told us! How long has this range been in business & does the county/township have a noise ordinance?

 

Ed Mori

1 Peter 4:10

[scottteng]

"Raising in excess of $200,000, this year's Sporting Clays Invitational was an unprecedented success. Held May 19th at the Peaceful Valley Scout Ranch and sponsored by Coors Brewing Company, AMG National Bank and Wells Fargo, the event boasted 31 shooting teams. The money raised during this year's event ensures that Scouts enjoy a quality and safe experience at Denver Boy Scout properties. For more information or to participate in the 2008 event please send inquiries to sportingclays@denverboyscouts.org.*"

 

http://www.denverboyscouts.org/openrosters/ViewOrgPageLink.asp?LinkKey=10942&orgkey=1701

 

Please note the Scout Reservation is 3000 acres not exactly a middle of suburbia camp.

[epalmer84]

We have had similar issues after someone bought the property on the other end of Boy Scout Lane to raise race horses.

 

Ed

[MarkS]

My troop attended summer camp at Peaceful Valley in June. It was an out-of-council camp for us. I have only one question... there were homes around the property? It sure seemed remote to me.

 

BTW, if the neighbors have problems with the noise, maybe they can move to our camp site because I never heard any of the shootin sports there. However, the shooting sports area was about 3/4 of a mile from our campsite and isolated by a 100 foot cliff (realy a steep hill) from out camp site.

 

Actually, looking at the topo map I bought as a souviner. The rifle range is near the Southern boundary of the property, just East of the main road, in a valley about 1/4 of a mile wide with 100 foot cliffs on the East and West sides. It makes sense that the sound could reverberate up and down this valley.

 

There's also an airstrip a half mile South of the shooting range but I didn't say anything about the neihbors complaining about aircraft. Speaking of aircraft, while we were at camp, there were several times I witnessed small aircraft above the property doing stall recovery practice. I kind of wondered if the DAC gave them permission to shut off their engines and see if they could restart them above the ranch.(This message has been edited by MarkS)