Mountain View County council has voted on a re-designation related to a gun shooting range just west of Carstairs.
The re-desigation of land at the Silver Willow Sporting Club involves changing 68 acres within SW 7-30-1-15 from agricultural district to parks and recreation district. The bylaw authorizing the change received first reading in September.
The matter was the subject of a three-hour public hearing in council chambers on Nov. 12.
Club owners Don and Gwen Day told council the change is needed to accommodate an expansion of the shooting area and for the repositioning of some of the 24 shooting stations at the shotgun-only site.
The reconfiguration of the shooting stations will focus the direction of shooting towards the centre of the quarter section, Don Day told councillors.
“We feel this is a well suited use of this land,” said Day.
More than two dozen letters of opposition to the re-desigation were presented to council.
Opponents cited concerns about such things as increased traffic, noise, environmental impacts and area resident safety. Many of the letter writers appeared before the Nov. 12 hearing.
Georgina and Craig Swanby, who live near the club, said they have several concerns with the proposed expansion of the facility.
“We didn't like the shooting previously and have kindly overlooked it, but now as they are building their business larger it is too much to put up with,” the Swanbys said.
“We live in an agricultural community (and) the last thing we ever expected or want was to be beside a full-time shooting range with constant gunfire or concerned about any type of lead poisoning.”
Area resident Teena Trick-Wilks said she also has concerns about the expansion of the facility, including its possible negative impact on land values.
“In fact, the land value of the local residents will go down, as who wants to listen to the constant guns day and night? There are several businesses that operate in a close proximity to this range at present.”
She told the hearing, “There's an incredible increase in noise” from the facility in recent times. She also called for an environmental assessment of the property.
Council also received more than two dozen letters of support for the re-designation.
One letter writer, Stacey Sommerfeld, said he had no concerns with the proposed expansion.
“It's not intrusive at all,” Sommerfeld told the hearing. “I was well aware of the existence of the shotgun range when I bought my property. I have no issues with the sound coming from the Silver Willow Sporting Club and have no issues with the rezoning of the property described.”
Kelly Brennen, a county resident, also wrote a letter in support of the application.
“They have been in operation for 25 years and in that time, they have consistently contributed to our community (in a) positive and constructive manner,” Brennen wrote.
“I live close enough to the site to hear the guns and have shot there many times myself. I can honestly say that there are no negative effects that I know of.”
All the letters of support and opposition are available on the county's website.
Gwen Day said concerns about traffic, noise and other things will be addressed at the development permit stage.
“We are fully aware of development permit conditions we will need to meet to come up to today's standards,” said Gwen Day.
Coun. Angela Aalbers asked the Days whether the area for the proposed re-desigation is already being used for shooting. Don Day said yes.
Reeve Bruce Beattie and councillors Al Kemmere, Ken Heck, Duncan Milne and Jeremy Sayer voted in favour of the re-desigation. Coun. Aalbers voted against, while Deputy Reeve Patricia McKean was not present at the Nov. 12 hearing.
The club must now make an application for a development permit.
In a second motion put forward by Coun. Milne, councillors recommended that the municipal planning commission consider traffic, noise, environmental impacts and event sizes during future deliberations regarding any development permit application for the site.
"We feel this is a well suited use of this land."Don Day, club owner
