The Fayette County Zoning Hearing Board has continued to July a hearing dealing with a target shooting range in Dunbar Township after more than two hours of testimony on Wednesday.
Joseph Cellurale Sr.; his son, Joseph Cellurale Jr.; and Sean Miller, CEO of Washington Security Group, Washington, D.C., applied for the special exceptions for a shooting range near the historic Isaac Meason House in April through Fayette County's Office of Planning and Zoning.
The range, located on Cellurale-owned land zoned agricultural rural and airport hazard, is near the historic Isaac Meason House and across Route 119 from the Joseph A. Hardy Connellsville Airport.
Miller wants to use the range for nonacademic instruction in armed self-defense and outdoor target shooting as a commercial school.
The zoning office served the Cellurales with an enforcement notice in January for having the range without the proper zoning. The Cellurales appealed.
At the hearing, Miller testified the range is not open to the public and will always be closed to all but students.
"It's strictly related to anti-terrorism," Miller testified. "Personal protective measures, evasive driving, vehicle inspection for government personnel to be deployed overseas. We will also expand to train law enforcement and responsible citizens wanting firearms training."
Evasive driving and all class work take place at the airport, he said.
Miller testified that all students will travel in a convoy of company-owned vehicles from the airport. Private vehicles will not be allowed on the 66-acre site. The range takes up less than two acres.
Les Mlakar, representing Terry and Diane Kriss, who own the Meason House, questioned the legality of a commercial school in an agricultural district in the airport hazard overlay.
David Toal, representing the Cellurales and Miller, agreed with Mlakar that the property lies in both designations.
"He has ignored one specific," Mlakar said. "The overlay district imposes different requirements. Commercial schools are allowed in an airport hazard zone as a special exception. The airport overlays the agricultural zone. This restricts uses allowed. The more stringent requirement shall prevail. The more stringent requirement is in the airport zone, not the airport hazard zone."
ZHB solicitor Gretchen Mundorff said, "Our ordinance does provide for a special exception for a commercial school in an A-1 (agricultural) zone."
Miller testified that the shooting range would not affect air traffic. Additionally, personnel will have radios and monitor the planes, and students will stop shooting until a plane has landed. He said the school would be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, with occasional low-light shoots either just before dawn or sunset. He said students would average four days a month of shooting.
ZHB member Paul Bortz Sr. asked how many rounds would be fired per student.
"Around 3,000 shots total for the two-day shooting course," Miller said. He added that the sound would travel toward the 20-foot earth berm containing the paper targets and the 30-foot hill behind the berm.
Mundorff said the county requires noise levels not to exceed 90 decibels at the perimeter of the property.
Miller said he would have the noise independently checked.
Two county residents questioned the safety of the school.
Robert Pritchard Sr. asked that if a shooter would turn around and fire in the wrong direction, could the round hit the Meason House.
"No," Miller replied. "We have administrative control and a 31-foot hill. The range is 61 feet below the grade of the Kriss' house. Also, between the house and the range are trees."
Miller said beginners worked one-to-one with instructors and one instructor supervised no more than three more experienced students.
Evelyn Hovanec wanted the ZHB to clarify an overlay. "The underlying zoning is A-1, period."
Hovanec asked if Miller had filed a development plan with the Planning Commission. Miller said the special exception was the first step.
Hovanec also questioned the safety of a shooting school about 1,500 yards from Route 119. "I think theory is good. But I want tests. I want someone to tell us we have nothing to worry about. But when an expert does that, we have something to worry about."
"You have nothing to worry about," Miller said. "The experts from the NRA tested it."
Mlakar said he would need additional time to question Miller on the school and its possible expansion, as well as being able to cross-examine the National Rifle Association range safety expert Miller hired to evaluate the school's safety.
The ZHB continued the hearing to 10 a.m. July 27 in the Public Service Building, Uniontown. It will last all day if necessary. No further hearing notices will be sent.
