Opposition of Bentonville Locals to Firearms Range Precedes Opposition to Campground Off Rivermont Drive at County Planning Commission Meeting

The prevalent question being asked at the opening of the monthly regular meeting of the Warren County Planning Commission was: has the Sheriff’s Office exhausted every alternative possibility to the proposed construction of a firearms training facility at the transfer station in Bentonville? Beginning at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, October 9 in the Warren County Government Center at 220 North Commerce Avenue, the commission heard from a handful of concerned Bentonville residents who believe they will be negatively impacted by the establishment of a firearms range at that location.

Warren County Planning Commission convenes for a regular meeting on the evening of Wednesday, October 9. Royal Examiner Photo Credits: Brenden McHugh.

According to the residents who spoke out during public comments against the proposed facility, a range at that location would mean noise pollution in addition to the annoyance of the sounds of garbage trucks with which they live daily. In recent months at commission meetings, ever since this issue materialized, Bentonville residents who live near the transfer station have attended those meetings and voiced their concerns, one of which is the psychological impact the regular sound of gunfire might have on their community. On Wednesday night, one man addressed the commission and tearfully related how his son recently heard gunfire and became frightened; with a firearms facility in the neighborhood, could that fear become a constant reality?

The commissioners must now balance equally grave concerns and the well-being of a community in juxtaposition to the sheriff’s need for a conveniently located range. Currently, the Office must send its trainees to distant locations like Harper’s Ferry to get the instruction they need. This process is costly, time ineffective, and often does not lead to the full training that officers require. Arguably, the range would be an investment in the well-being of the very people speaking that night. But the question remains: has the Office exhausted every alternative possibility? The public comments on Wednesday did not represent an agenda item with a public hearing that night. This is an issue that will reach its climax in November with meetings of the planning commission and the board of supervisors respectively. The commission will be moving forward with considerations they have heard, among them noise pollution, the safety of the Baggarly family in their proximity to the proposed range, a concern about lead poisoning from bullets accumulating in the soil, and the prospect of houses in that neighborhood declining in value.

Planner Kelly Wahl and Zoning Administrator Chase Lenz.

The commission also conducted a public hearing on an application from SouthFork RiverSide Campground, LLC, requesting a conditional use permit to operate a campground on 204 Russ Johnson Road off Rivermont Drive with an accessory use for a river sports outfitter business for rental of canoeing, kayaking, boating and fishing equipment. The property, approximately one hundred forty-two acres in size and zoned agricultural, will be largely preserved for agricultural use if the project goes forward. Despite the applicant’s assurance that the LLC will seek to preserve the pristine beauty that would attract campers in the first place, taking water and septic precautions into consideration and establishing a commercial entrance that will offset traffic concerns, many residents local to that area who attended the meeting voiced their concerns that increased traffic and above all noise pollution will be a reality. The commission forwarded the application to the supervisors with a unanimous recommendation for approval with the condition that the applicant construct a buffer zone planted with evergreen trees between the western boundary of the property and the nearest of the proposed one hundred campsites that would serve motorized recreational vehicles, campers, and tent camping.

(L) Planning Director Matt Wendling and (R) County Attorney Jordan Bowman.

After hearing from Planner Kelly Wahl about the upcoming community outreach on November 12 from 4-6 p.m., in which members of the community will be invited to give input on the developing comprehensive plan, all other commission matters being handled, the meeting was adjourned at 9 p.m.

Click here to watch the Warren County Planning Commission Meeting of October 9, 2024.