Kimball City Attorney and Marion County Attorney Billy GougerSOUTH PITTSBURG, Tenn. — The Marion County Sheriff’s Department is planning to build a shooting range off Port Road in New Hope, Tenn., but a lease contract with the property’s owner, the city of South Pittsburg, must be agreed upon first.
City Attorney Billy Gouger, who also represents the county, said Marion Natural Gas Systems uses the five-acre tract of land currently as a storage facility, and the firing range would be constructed on the unused southeastern portion of that property.
The proposed lease agreement is a 10-year term with “nominal consideration,” or just $1 per year. It also includes a mutual 30-day out clause.
“One of the reasons for that is all the property around this five acres is currently being marketed by the port [authority] for industrial development purposes,” Gouger said. “If we were to get an industrial prospect that saw [the firing range] as an obstacle to their involvement, we’d certainly want the ability to get that obstacle out of the way.”
He said the county would be responsible for fencing the property and building the berm necessary for the shooting to be done safely. The estimated cost for the facility is $15,000, and the money would come from the county’s seized drug funds.
“It would be free of charge to the taxpayers,” Gouger said.
Commissioner Jeff Powers asked if engineers or experts who are experienced in the design or layout of that type of facility would construct the earthen embankment.
Gouger said Powers raised “legitimate issues” that “need to be addressed from a safety standpoint.”
“We certainly don’t want to endanger any neighboring property owners or anyone driving on the highway or operating on the railroad that runs behind the property,” he said.
The South Pittsburg City Commission decided to table the contract at its December meeting for further discussion and examination.
Mayor Jane Dawkins said she has been licensed to carry a concealed weapon for well over a decade and wondered if the planned firing range could be used for private citizens’ certification.
“I have had a lot of people in the last year, particularly women, who are asking about the procedure to become [licensed to carry a concealed weapon],” she said. “One of the problems we have in Marion County is we no longer have a certified range.”
Gouger said the proposed contract doesn’t allow for anyone other than police to use the facility right now.
“This would be for law enforcement purposes only,” he said. “The county sheriff’s department and the municipal police departments located within the county would be the ones authorized to use it.”
“It would be great if they could expand that,” Dawkins said. “I’m excited about it. I think it would be a good thing, and the fact that we would not have to use taxpayer money to do that.”
Ryan Lewis is based in Marion County. Contact him at ryanlewis34@gmail.com.