Commissioners Give Go Ahead to Grade Land For Firing Range

A firing range for the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office is moving forward, despite the continuing concerns of some neighborhood residents.

Stephens County Commissioners voted 3 to 1 on Tuesday to move forward with grading and clearing for the Sheriff’s Office firing range, while also having Stephens County Extension Agent Forrest Connelly work with the Sheriff’s Office to ensure there are no environmental issues.

The environmental questions were a new concern brought forward by range opponents  at Tuesday’s commission meeting.

Bruce Cousins called for an environmental impact study on the range, focusing on the effects of the lead from the bullets.

He said that lead could make its way into the groundwater.

“Soils eroded from shooting ranges transport lead increase the chances for environmental impact,” he said.

He also gave commissioners a report from Florida on the issue.

Stephens County Commissioner Debbie Whitlock, citing that report, said the land here is different and possibly more suited to a range.

“From what I am reading, the clay (in the ground) binds the lead and we are kind of set up naturally to protect our water with the clay,” said Whitlock.

Opponents also still question the need for the range.

Bryan Gordon said he still has not received a satisfactory answer as to why the county needs a range when the city of Toccoa already has one available.

“The basic answer I got at the sheriff’s information meeting is that we are building this range, duplicating facilities, because the gate was locked one time when we showed up to use the city’s range,” said Gordon.  “I find out they are training 45 days a year and 10 percent of that is on the firing range, so we are having to build  a range with taxpayers’ money because we cannot find five or six days a year where we can use the city’s range?”

Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Andy Myers said that coordinating schedules is not as simple as it might seem.

“It is a matter of not just coordinating two agencies’ schedules,” said Myers.  “We have to coordinate the schedules within those schedules.”

Opponents also continued to question the effect of the noise on the animals at the nearby humane shelter, though Shelter Director Jeff Roberts said he does not feel it will be a problem after a test firing was done last month.

Also, resident Bryan Dooley asked county commissioners if an individual would be able to install a range in such a manner in such a location under the county’s own land use ordinance.

The county said state law exempts county-owned property from the county’s land use ordinance.

Overall, resident Jack Barnard said the bottom line is that the range does not belong behind the county road department.

“We do not need a study for noise, we do not need a study for environmental (impact) because we know what the outcome is,” said Barnard.  “Here is what we need to do.  We do not need to have the shooting range there.”

However, Commissioner Whitlock said she supports the range.

“In the world we live in now, the more comfortable and confident an officer is with his firearm, the better off the officer is, the better off we are,” said Whitlock.

Whitlock added having the county extension agent look at the environmental side of the project should address the residents’ environmental concerns that were addressed.

Commissioners Dean Scarborough and Michelle Ivester voted for Whitlock’s motion.

However, Commissioner Stanley London voted against it.

“I just feel like right now there seem to be too many unanswered questions,” said London.

Stephens County Commission Chair Dennis Bell was not present at Tuesday’s meeting.

According to Stephens County Administrator Phyllis Ayers, work will not commence on the range in earnest for a few months while crews work on other projects.

County commissioners had first approved the land for the range in August, but work was halted in September after neighboring residents first voiced concerns.