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Friday, July 24, 2015 – 9:30 a.m.
Courthouse Annex, 79 Jackson Street, Zebulon, Georgia
1. CALL TO ORDER................................................................................Chairman Briar Johnson
2. INVOCATION……………………………………………………………………...Ben Maxedon
3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE..............................................................Chairman Briar Johnson
4. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA - (O.C.G A. 50-14-1 (e) (1))
5. DISCUSSION OF SE-15-08
[Note from the Editor: The following was not included on the meeting agenda, but I am adding it so the public knows what is going on without having to go digging for info on what SE-15-08 is because that is how I roll. This info is from the night meeting that was conducted on June 30, 2015.] To receive public input on SE-15-08 – Steve Burge, Debbie Burge and Lawrence Burge, property owners, and applicants, are requesting a special exception in an A-R zoned district to allow for an outdoor, public shooting range (as a General Home Occupation). The subject property, located at 2734 Flat Shoals Road, has approximately 850 feet of frontage along the northern side of Flat Shoals Road. The property is located in Land Lot 247 of the 9th District of Pike County, Georgia. The property consists of 25.07 acres and is further identified as Tax Map Parcel #016 014.To read more about this, click here and scroll down toward the end of the meeting in section 9i.
6. ADJOURNMENT
Agenda is subject to revision.
The meeting was called to order and County Manager (CM) Hanson told commissioners that the purpose of the meeting is to go out and listen to the shooting from the range that morning. Commissioners were given a list of weapons that they would hear at the range though the list could be changed. [Note from the Editor: I didn't ask if the list was changed, and I did not stay at the range to watch. I went up the road to listen to the sound at two different neighbor's locations.]
On the prepared list were several types of pistols, a shotgun, an AR 15, and a .38 revolver. Eyes and ears were a requirement at the range, and the simulation was run just as it would be according to The Shooting Academy's Range Mangement Plan Summary that was provided to all of the commissioners prior to the simulation. It was noted that there is only a 6 foot berm there now and, if this approved, there will be an 18 foot u-shaped berm as well as additional vegetation around the site to cut down on sound.
The Range Management Plan also noted the following (if it is approved): they feel that the "gun range will highly benefit our community and local law enforcement in proper gun training and safety," there will be 18-20 foot earthen berm in a square "U" shape with trees planted around it that will have a width at the toe of the berm of 20-40 feet to provide stability as well as being covered with erosion control matting and grass for support, there have been over 500 supporters both by signatures and social media, soil sampling has been completed and was enclosed, ambient sound testing has been completed and was enclosed, business hours would be Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday if necessary from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and never open on Sunday, affirmed that it would comply with business license and signage requirements, that eye and ear protection will be used by anyone within 50 feet of the firing line regardless of whether that person is shooting or observing, that the Training Facility will observe all gun/range safety and rules and regulations on site and within the facility, waiver of liabilities will be used by anyone on the property, there will be a fence around the berm to keep anyone from wanding into the shooting area or downrange, designated parking will not be behind the berm, the lead and lead fragments will be collected and recycled according to EPA guidelines, and there will be a range log of all activities according to EPA guidelines.
After the firing simulation, commissioners came back to the meeting room and adjourned the meeting. This is on the agenda for Tuesday night.
[Note from the Editor: If you appreciate being able to read information from county meetings for free on Pike County Times, please make a donation to Pike County Times through the PayPal link at the bottom of the page or by check to Pike County Times at PO Box 843, Zebulon so I can justify the amount of time that I am spending away from family. It may not seem like much but sitting in a meeting and then typing it up takes a lot more time than you might imagine! Thanks for reading Pike County's only FREE newspaper.]
