Minutes 02-09-2021 Virtual Work Session

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10 John Roberts said yes. Sheriff Blackwood said on a property that was grandfathered in, the next-door neighbor may not be able to shoot because they had not already erected a backstop. He said education is incredibly important. Chair Price said there is difficulty determining where the shots are fired, due to geography, topography, and sounds echoing. Commissioner Hamilton clarified that any action the Board takes will have no impact on those who are already shooting. Commissioner McKee said it is unclear where the actual issues are, and from where the noises are coming. He said instituting buffers may cease all shooting in the County, with the exception of those who are grandfathered in. He said the Board can never address noise, and it is unclear where to draw a line. He said the end result will be no shooting in Orange County. He said he understands the concerns, but does not know how to address it. Chair Price said she does not feel there is a solution, except by opening lines of communication and giving shooters, as well as neighbors, tools to report and resolve issues. She said if anyone feels they are in danger, they should call the Sheriff's department. Commissioner Dorosin said he would like the Board to look into the 300-foot buffer, as well as an education campaign. He said not doing anything is not satisfactory to him. He said buffering might help the expansion of new development of shooting ranges. He said he would like more accurate maps with more detail to see what a buffer would look like. He said some kind of baseline and public outreach and communication would be valuable. He said he would like more information on what an ordinance of a 300-foot buffer from any residence would look like. Chair Price asked if staff could clarify the buffer around public buildings. John Roberts said the buffer around public buildings is 450 feet. Commissioner Hamilton said she would like to consider communication strategies for new developments, so residents understand the reality when buying into a new development. She said the issue is very complex in its potential impact on land uses and subdivisions. Commissioner McKee said if the Board is going to consider this issue further, there needs to be an overlay of the areas of concern on the 300 foot buffer map. He said he does not see how creating a buffer could improve the situation, but feels it would confuse the issue and add additional frustration. Commissioner Fowler remarked on the juxtaposition of this topic with the next two topics on the agenda, due to the discussion of education and communication. She said if grandfathering can occur, then it seems there would be little impact. Chair Price agreed with Commissioner Dorosin's suggestion, but does not see how it would be enforced. She asked if the Board wants to direct staff to create 300 foot buffer maps with Commissioner McKee's suggestion of overlaying the locations of complaints. Commissioner Dorosin requested better detail on the maps. He said the current maps contain basic information, such as where the addresses are. He said if the buffer ordinance was created, he would need to see where the actual residential structures are. He suggested four or five areas of detail to provide examples of what the 300-foot buffer would look like in relation to structures. He said one of those areas should be where there are a lot of complaints. John Roberts confirmed that the Board wants a map showing buffers with an overlay of known problem areas that the Sheriff has encountered. He said the map would also show actual residential structures in known problem areas, as well as high-density areas. Commissioner Dorosin said yes, and the Board should also look at areas from which it has received a lot of email complaints.