The Polk County Commissioners on Tuesday approved an amended conditional use permit for the Fosston Area Sportsman’s Club to expand the days open from 3 days to 5 days and to expand the shooting ranges capacity to from 100 to 150 people.
Polk County Planning and Zoning Administrator Jake Snyder said the request from the Sportsman’s Club came because they are having a hard time getting the required shooting in for Minnesota State High School Clay Target League due to increased numbers and conflicting sports schedules. The High School Target League is the primary user of the range with adults having a league one night a week. “The reason that operation was really set up for the Clay Shooting League in Fosston Area School District,” said Snyder. “It’s been very popular, they’ve been very successful with their program. With all the kids that are using the range now, they had to expand out to give them a little more option with scheduling. To get their time in on the range is of importance so they can get their scores submitted to the league. We added a couple of conditions to plant some trees and try to be neighborly addressing some things that were brought up in the public hearing.”
In order to issue the conditional use permit, a public hearing was held. Snyder said a few comments were made about noise and a condition for a row of trees to catch noise is included in the permit. “There were some comments in the public hearing about noise concerns,” said Snyder. “The range is set up at the top of a hill so you’ll never be able to control all the noise but try to deaden some of that sound. You’re going to hear gunshots, we know that and trying to compromise with the owner to get some trees to catch that noise.”
Gun Ranges are exempt through state statutes from noise control laws and ordinances, however, Snyder said in working with the Sportsman’s Club both the club and county realize the benefit of being neighborly to the properties around the range. “State Statute was brought into play because of these trap ranges,” said Snyder. “New or existing trap ranges typical noise standards don’t follow those operations. There is no way to meet it. They are clay targets and more of a rapid-fire than if you’re out shooting birds. The really important thing to think about in this whole discussion is it does teach our kids responsibility with how to operate shotguns. They teach safety, talk about wearing your protections – shooting glasses, ear protection – all those things that are important if you are a hunter or fowler.”
