Gun Range threatens Quiet on the Katy Trail

It is unfortunate that the forum was shutdown, this IS about the Katy Trail, Greg! People who enjoy the Katy trail should be informed when businesses, groups, or entities move to disrupt or change what we all enjoy so we can exercise our free speach ammendment.

This IS NOT a Pro-gun vs anti-gun issue.
I am a 2nd ammendment proponent, CCW, and card carring NRA member. I go to a gunrange on a regular basis.
But this proposed range will be in earshot of the trail, and my understanding is it will allow rapid fire and could extend to automatic weapons. It will be noisy, constant, and yes the sound will travel quite well across an open field.
This is the issue! People enjoy the quiet on the trail.
I feel they should build an indoor range or move the outside range further away to preserve the attractions of the trail.
I encourage people to contact any and all the zoning members who will be deciding on this issue in Warren County on Aug 21st.
Rick Brant, Chair 636-239-3512
Tracy Brakensiek, Vice-Chair 636-456-3044
Kelly Hardcastle, Secretary 636-528-6182
Hubert Kluesner, Commissioner 636-433-2320
Nelson Seger, Commissioner 636-456-2434
Darrell Reinhardt, Commissioner 573-486-2469
Dan Simpson, Commissioner 636-456-4343
Donald Tomschin, Commissioner 636-463-1603

Thank you all and God Bless America

You are a NIMBY. Not in my back yard. This is country not city. Relax dude. The sound of gunfire in the country, is not the same as gunfire in the hood.

Personally, I drive 40 miles from the "hood", to get to the Katy trail for a nice peaceful ride. A place where we can get away from the craziness we encounter on our St. Louis excursions. I am not a gun owner, however; I have nothing against anyone who likes the range. I would just rather not have anything loud disturbing the tranquility the Katy trail provides to my wife and I after a stressful week of work. Also; our forefathers fought for our right to own and bear arms, however; they also fought for our right to free speech and opinion; so the judging of each others opinion should stop and we should save our energy for completing the Katy trail to both ends of the state. Thank You.

As someone who grew up listening to gunfire in the country, I can assure you it was extremely annoying, not being able to walk around 20 acres of your own property, for fear of being shot accidentally (and knowing the ambulance would need at least 20 minutes to arrive). It's also unnerving.

You're right though, KCMO bike cop -- gunfire isn't the same in the country, since it travels farther and last longer.

If you hate the Katy Trail go ahead and show up at a meeting and try to tell them where
they can and cannot put their gun range.

This is EXACTLY what landowners feared when they pushed through the trail.

You are right that this has nothing to do with gun rights but I feel that this is much more
of an issue than the bridge in Booneville ever would be.

Can you imagine! Showing up at a meeting and starting with, "I live 300 miles away but I
ride the KATY trail and I think............." I think that would make many people very angry.

I live by and bike the trails around Smithville Lake. A trap range is nearby, and the sounds of shots are often heard. It does not seem to disturb the nearby wildlife, or the many users of the trails. The range is well thought out and safe, as are all controlled public ranges. Relax. Bike riders have to share the the land with others.

I think that as long as the safety issues are resolved, i.e. no chance of a ricochet, that a gun range shouldn't be an issue.

I agree with one of the above posts, if the actual, on-site neighbors are OK with it, trail-users really shouldn't have too much of a beef. If the noise bothers you, ride/walk/run along another few miles. I personally find the areas where construction is/has been going on (east end of Greens Bottom) to be annoying, but I am not going to go before a county commission meeting and try to get it shut down. I just put my head down and move on through.

The trails at Smithville Lake mentioned in Bike Cop's post above, are a pretty good example of a very diverse group of interests co-habiting. We ride the trails there often and it is very refreshing to see all the different groups using the eastern shoreline for so many different reasons. On our 40 some mile loop we've seen many, many deer, turkeys, song birds, trail riders, mountain bikers, the peace and quiet of "Sailboat Cove," the jammin loud music of the party cove, fishing boats, kite boaders, campers with their washer boxes set up on the trail, kids bikes that have been ditched along the trail near mom and dads camper, big bore V-8 powered boats that are very loud, and we also pass the gun range. The first time we rode there and heard gunfire our ears perked up until we rode on and saw that the shots were coming from a controlled area.
We can all do our own thing without infringing on others rights. And we all have many rights, whether that be to carry a concealed weapon or to speak out against something that we don't care for.

"If you hate the Katy Trail go ahead and show up at a meeting and try to tell them where they can and cannot put their gun range. This is EXACTLY what landowners feared when they pushed through the trail." Well, Robert, gun owners take up state resources all the time in Jefferson City, lobbying for gun "rights" above all else, and they'll bring in strangers and non-residents from 1,000s of miles away to do it, all the time. They push a lot of things through the legislature I'd rather not see, so I guess I'm square with the persecuted landowners. (And if the landowners in question are farmers, well...they'd have more credibility if they didn't take government subsidies.)
I agree with a previous poster, if the gunfire noise and actual shots are limited to "their" property, no problem. I do actually find some reassurance in this. Sounds like a decent, safe, secure set-up.

I think that you've proven that your problem with gun ranges is a little bigger than the trail.

Hearing gun fire on the Katy is already pretty common in the Weldon Springs area. Not only does the trail go through the conservation area where hunting is allowed, but there is also a police firing range on 94 that can be heard from the trail head in Weldon springs. I've also noticed many hunting blinds on the private properties that border the Katy. If someone opens another gun range near the Katy, I personally will not notice or care. I also will not be worried because the gun range is probably the safest place that someone can shoot their gun.

And Robert, I think you've proven that you're pro-gun and damn the consequences.

Robert, ignore Biker. I don't know where he arrived at that proven idea. Logic might fail him. Just wanted to let you know that others can see and think. You don't agree. No point in insults.