Fremont Twp. weighs shooting range rules

By Sherrie Kleitch

The Yale Expositor

FREMONT TWP. — The Fremont Township Planning Commission spent much of its recent meeting on May 27 working through how to clarify the township’s zoning language on shooting ranges, while also trying to protect the rights of residents who shoot safely on their own property.

The discussion followed concerns raised at a previous meeting about shooting range provisions in the township’s ordinance and whether certain activities should fall under special land use requirements.

Fremont Planning Commission Chairman Rich Mee said the May 6 public comment helped shape the commission’s approach.

“The public comment that we got at the May 6 meeting on the shooting range meant a lot to me,” he said. “There were some very important points brought up.”

The commission discussed adding a definition of “shooting range” to the zoning ordinance, including rifles, shotguns, pistols, archery, black powder, pellet guns and other sport shooting uses. Members also discussed adding language to make clear the ordinance would not apply to residents or property owners and their guests shooting safely on their own private property.

Several commissioners expressed concern about making the ordinance too restrictive.

“We should not be making them more restrictive in any manner,” At-Large Commissioner Walt Badgerow said. “And, as it stands, our existing ordinance is pretty restrictive.”

Karen Kovach, representing the township’s board of trustees, said the township should be careful not to take away the reasons people choose to live in a rural area.

“A lot of this we don’t want to take away our rights as property owners,” she said. “We moved out here for a reason.”

At the same time, commissioners discussed concerns about commercial or instructional shooting activity, noise, safety, liability insurance and whether live-fire training tied to concealed pistol license classes would qualify under state requirements.

The commission also reviewed sample shooting range ordinance language from Sanilac Township, which includes detailed requirements for indoor and outdoor ranges, such as lot size, setbacks, backstops, fencing, supervision, insurance and sheriff’s department inspections.

Some members questioned whether Fremont Township needed that level of regulation, while others said a basic definition would help prevent confusion.

The township attorney previously advised that, under the current ordinance, shooting ranges require special land-use approval from the planning commission. His email said Section 5.02 lists shooting ranges as a special land use requiring planning commission approval and that he did not see any exceptions for temporary uses.

Commissioners initially discussed whether a definition could simply be added to the ordinance without a public hearing; however, they later agreed to ask the attorney whether the proposed language would require the formal ordinance amendment process.

The commission approved moving forward with the proposed definition and clarification language, pending legal guidance. If a public hearing is required, members discussed pairing it with any future township board hearing on blight ordinance amendments to help reduce costs.

The commission also addressed corrections to previous meeting minutes. Members agreed the May 6 minutes needed clarification regarding appointments to vacant township seats, noting the planning commission may recommend names, but appointments are handled by the township board and supervisor. 

The corrected minutes will be brought back for approval at a future meeting.