Zoning hearing board approves shooting range
The Fayette County Zoning Hearing Board Wednesday approved a special exception that will allow a commercial shooting range near the Joseph A. Hardy/Connellsville Airport and the historic Issac Meason House in Dunbar Township.
The action was taken after solicitor Gretchen Mundorff read the case history from a prepared statement. After going into a brief executive session, the board then voted unanimously for the approval, which included 12 conditions that Washington Security Group Inc. must comply with in the operation of the facility.
The unanimous decision was made by Jim Burns, Paul Bortz Sr. and Neil Brown.
The commercial shooting range will be located on property zoned A-1, agricultural rural, and A-H, airport hazard overlay, and owned by Joseph Cellurale Jr.
The issue first arose after Washington Security Group, which is based in Washington, D.C., and has a local office at the airport, was cited by the Fayette County Office of Planning, Zoning and Community Development for operating illegally. The citation arose after complaints by Meason House owners Terry and Diane Kriss.
Washington Security and Cellurale then filed an appeal from the enforcement notice and also filed two separate special exception requests seeking a commercial school for non-academic instruction in armed self-defense with target shooting range and also for “other uses,” for an armed self-defense outdoor target shooting and instructional area.
Four hearings on the matter were held in April, June, July and September.
In taking the action, the board ruled that because the applicants filed for special exceptions, no action would be taken on the enforcement notice.
Diane Kriss was the only member of the public to attend the public meeting.
Also, the zoning board only ruled on the commercial school special exception request and not the “other uses” request.
The 12 conditions included in the special exception are:
n The site only operates 25 days a year and not during weekends or at night, and class size is limited to 14.
n The only way in and out is via Route 119, Mount Braddock Road and Industrial Park Drive to the right of way on the Cellurale property.
n Tn eight-foot tall fence is erected around the site.
n Insurance be maintained for the use.
n Licensed instructors must be present with students at all times.
n The local airport must be notified of the times of classes.
n All students must meet at the airport and then be transported to the site.
n Nothing is to be stored on the site when not it use, including the box truck and portable toilet and no permanent structures are permitted.
n Washington Security must meet the general performance standards in the zoning ordinance, including meeting the decibel limits.
n Signage must be posted showing the location of the range.
n No sub-contracts are permitted for the facility.
n Nothing can be discharged and all federal, state and local laws must be followed.
Sean Miller of Washington Security had testified that his company’s contracts are for governmental employees going overseas to prepare them to protect themselves.
He said shooting at the range includes mostly handguns and that the courses are certified.
The range includes 10 targets and has a 20-foot dirt embankment behind it and a hillside that extends up.