Terrace Heights Residents Fired Up Over Proposed Shooting Range
Proposed shooting range for Terrace Heights
The Yakima County Sheriff's Office wants to turn 17 acres near the Terrace Heights landfill into a shooting range for deputies to train and practice. But some neighbors are firing back over the proposal.
Yakima County Sheriff's Office Sergeant Jerrold Towell may soon be able to practice shooting at a proposed range on county owned land near the Terrace Heights landfill. But neaby residents are afraid the project will impact property values, and ruin the tranquility of their neighborhood.
"We have peace and quiet, and beautiful views, and we're just concerned that we're going to lose a lot of that," says Gordon Martin.
The Sheriff's Office wants to put the shooting range on 17acres near Roza Hill Drive and Solar Lane. The range would be open to both county corrections officers and Sheriff's deputies, who need the space to train.
"We're trying to be a law enforcement agency that responds to the needs of the public and to protect them, and we can't do that appropriately unless we train appropriately," says Sgt. Towell.
Towell says other training areas are either too expensive, or aren't always available. The range would allow officers access from 8 a.m. until 11 p.m.
Manfred Ritter lives across the street from the proposed site. Because his home was recently burglarized, he has mixed feelings about officers shooting at night.
"I feel a little safe considering they're right across the street, but yeah, 11 at night, that's not gonna cut it really," says Ritter.
The Sheriff's Office says it will work with residents to meet their concerns over the proposed shooting range, but at least one homeowner says he doesn't want the shooting range moving in at all.
"I have over 100 signatures of people that do not want it, and I think as a community we should respect the people that live out here," says Martin.
"We're going through a planning process, we are not trying to shove this down people's throats," says Sgt. Towell.
A public comment period on the proposed shooting range closed today. The county may decide on the project in the next few weeks, but residents can appeal the decision.