Comments on: County To Give Property To Shooting Range, Allow Longer Hours

By: PensacolaEd

PensacolaEd — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 15:11:35 +0000

Jack, As far as ERML spending $250K, it was written into the Lease Agreement, which ERML signed in May 2008, that the County would reimburse ERML for the money they actually spent, amortized over the 20-year term of the Lease. There was no risk, if the County pushed ERML off the property, then ERML would get its money back. It was a sweetheart deal, but it wasn’t good enough, ERML had to have ownership of the property. They claim it’s to help them get grants, but the reality is with ERML owning the property there is very little in the way of enforcement options if ERML doesn’t follow the rules or continues to operate unsafely.

By: jack444

jack444 — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:01:19 +0000

As an ERML member for many years, I agree that the county probably should not have “given” the land to the club. That said, I have been present at numerous county commission meetings where it was pointed out that cleanup of the land would cost many times more than it could ever be sold for. The logical choice was to release the county’s liability, although again I’m not sure why there wasn’t some money involved.

That said, people are making some patently false claims about the range and its members. I remember the “bad old days” before ERML erected a fence and hired full time range safety officers. I remember the shot up power lines, port-a-potties, shooting benches, etc. Those days are GONE FOR GOOD, however, and there is no sense bringing them up.

As to the $250,000 in safety improvements, those are still in the works. People need to understand that there was no way that ERML was going to spend a quarter-million dollars improving a piece of land that the county could yank out from under them at any time with minimal notice.

I am confident that ERML will continue to provide a safe place for area residents to practice the shooting sports and over time will even generate revenue for the area.

By: Tina

Tina — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 14:24:23 +0000

To “ANOTHER”
Great points! Can’t wait to read the book!

By: Another Muzzled Landowner

Another Muzzled Landowner — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 13:18:05 +0000

Congratulations ERML, you finally got your bail-out from the County. Too broke to pay for safety improvements, but now potentially rich with grants to expand the range. But the County Commissioners are the real winners in all this. They have categorically shed themselves from the liability, or so they think. You don’t steal land from a mentally incapacitated black man in the 1950’s for a $4.50 property tax, create a pit after selling all of its dirt and then allow it to fester into a multi-member gun range for over 30 years, and then just walk away. Sounds like a good book, a jewel in Escambia County’s history.

And it’s not over yet. The County has one more chance to get it right with any development orders necessary to convey or develop the property. They have all the information from the NRA Range Source Book on how to make it SAFER. I just hope the County’s final chapter will be a good one.

By: Voting Citizen

Voting Citizen — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 04:03:32 +0000

Do you really think the county would spend all that money on the road and bridge for a few house down there? They know exactly whats going in down there in a few years.The training that will happen there will be huge benefit to the county.

By: escambia river muzzeled land owner

escambia river muzzeled land owner — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 01:28:31 +0000

question: why move into a neighborhood when you know there is a gun range nearby? ..answer: because when the county tells the residents that the range has gotton to big for the neighborhood and they’re on the way out you want to believe them. This “muzzle loader” club started out just what its name implies. Once a month or so there would be competition shoots, camp outs for the familys. The problem started when the gun range started to expand, more(and less courtious) members, more traffic on an already over used dirt road, more noise, stray bullets from ricochets on the north side of the range putting hunters or neighbors riding horses in danger.An agreement was made between the range, the neighbors and the county a few years back that the range would make upgrades. Higher berms with vegetation planted on them to muffle some of the noise. The shooting lanes were to be built on a downward incline to ensure no bullets could leave the range as well as other improvements designed to turn it into a state of the art, class A shooting facility. NOTHING has been done. My guess is NOTHING will be done. Why should it ? There is nothing saying they have to. There are around 7or 8 hundred members paying around $70 or $80 bucks a year. I’m pretty sure thats a conservative guess. Thats about $64,000 annually, and the county just gives this property away with no restictions, no responsibilties. I fell to see where this benefits the tax payers Escambia County. So go ahead say I hate guns(i own 6 of them) Say i shouldn’t have moved here( i’ve lived and enjoyed the outdoors in this neighborhood my whole life .44years) I will not respond any further. I am done….Thank you KevinWhite for standing by us. Now i’m done.

By: T

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:42:54 +0000

just looked at google maps ,where are all these houses around the range lol ?,not any.

By: M

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 18:57:13 +0000

Some people just don’t get it.Your right ! Everyone else is wrong!! Excuse me .I’m going to take my guns and go anywhere there is 5 acres or more ,out of the city limits and shoot them all day long.But I,m NOT going to shoot in a dangerous direction or early in the morn next to a house where people are sleeping.Or late in the eve when children are going to bed for school .These are not “rights ” the’re considerate .People stepping on others rights because they have rights is the problem,not your gun rights DUDE!

By: happy dad

happy dad — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 13:59:40 +0000

M gun rights have evrything to do with it, On June 28, 2010 The Supreme Court of the United States held that the Second Amendment was incorporated under the Fourteenth Amendment, protecting those rights from all states,county and local governments.the Supreme Court reversed the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit’s decision in McDonald v. Chicago resolveing conflicts between certain Chicago gun restrictions ( chicago trying to limiting gun ranges ) and the Second Amendment.So “M” the county knows there is absolutely nothing they can do or anyone else can now to close the range.The range will now be there long after we are all under the dirt that is a fact.its over so you need to get over it M.

By: Tina

Tina — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 13:37:50 +0000

Thank you “M” It has NOTHING to do with guns but you can’t make them understand that.
We own guns, we have NOTHING against guns, and will own them as long as we live!
It has to do with the County GIVING away 30 acres of land!
It has to do with rules NOT being followed!
It has to do with SAFETY issues!
Why can’t they follow rules and practice safety guidelines like the shooting range on Quintette Hwy?
and what a laugh, if you take a look at the member list, most of the members LIVE IN ALABAMA lol, so the only thing these members bring with them is a heavy foot on the gas pedal, and skid marks on thier way out and leaving a few empty cans on side of our new paved road.