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<br />_____________________________________________________________________________________________ <br />City of Arden Hills <br />City Council Meeting for August 21, 2017 <br />P:\Planning\Planning Cases\2017\PC 17-022 - Concept Plan Review - Heartland Gun Club & Range\Memos_Reports_17-022 <br /> <br />Page 2 of 4 <br />facility in Rochester. The company is interested in expanding to Arden Hills and is currently <br />considering three potential locations: <br />• 1155 Red Fox Road: Site is currently vacant and new construction would be required <br />• 1235 Red Fox Road: Heartland would retrofit and lease existing building space in the <br />Red Fox Business Center <br />• 4444 Round Lake Road: Heartland would purchases and retrofit existing 28,715 square <br />foot building <br /> <br />The proposed facility would be approximately 14,000 square feet in size and include a firing <br />range, retail store, classroom space, and storage. The firing range itself is expected to occupy <br />approximately 5,500 square feet. Classrooms would be used for training purposes. The applicant <br />has provided photographs of the existing Stock & Barrel facility in Chanhassen (Attachment B), <br />and the Arden Hills facility would have a similar appearance. The proposed hours of operation <br />would be 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., seven days per week. Heartland expects that peak hours would <br />be between 5:00 and 9:00 p.m. <br /> <br />In addition to municipal ordinances, indoor gun ranges are also regulated at the federal and state <br />level. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the <br />Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have specific requirements for gun range ventilation <br />systems. Minnesota State Statute 87A establishes certain performance standards for gun ranges, <br />including noise standards that are enforced by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). <br />Gun range operators are required to comply with all applicable federal and state regulations. <br /> <br /> <br />Discussion <br /> <br />Section 620.03 of the City Code generally prohibits the discharging or use of deadly weapons, <br />including any firearm, within the City. Exceptions are made for the lawful use of weapons in <br />defense of person and property, and the City Council may issue special permits to organized <br />clubs and their members for shooting or the use of air rifles or bow and arrows on lands owned <br />or leased by the clubs. The City Code does not specifically address the type of indoor gun range <br />proposed by Heartland and this use is currently prohibited. In order to allow for this type of <br />facility, Section 620.03 of the City Code would need to be amended to allow for the discharging <br />or use of firearms at an approved commercial indoor gun range. <br /> <br />The Zoning Code does not include a land use category for an indoor gun range. The land use <br />category that would most closely fit the proposed facility would be “Commercial recreation, <br />indoor.” The definition of this land use is provided below: <br />A commercial recreational use conducted within an enclosed building, including arcade, <br />arena, art gallery, assembly hall, athletic and health clubs, auditorium, bowling alley, <br />club or lounge, community center, pool or billiard hall, or a variety of organized or <br />franchised sports, including but not limited to basketball, ice hockey, wrestling, soccer, <br />tennis and volleyball. This definition does not include public uses on public property.