Skip to main content
Thursday, October 29, 2026Oct 29

This story is free to read.

Controversial firing range proposal returns to docket

photo Justin Whaley walks away from the planning notice sign proposing a special permit outdoor shooting range on Bakewell Mountain in north Hamilton County. The 184-acres are located on Retro Hughes Road.

If you go

What: December’s Chattanooga Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission meetingWhen: Dec. 12, 1 p.m.Where: Hamilton County Courthouse, 625 Georgia Ave.

A controversial firing range proposal is still alive after a months-long hiatus from the public spotlight.

The potential outdoor shooting range venture called Dead Zero Shooting is back on the Chattanooga Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency docket for Dec. 12, as indicated by a sign on Retro Hughes Road last week and confirmed by agency documents.

Justin Whaley and Wade Batson are seeking a special permit to open the range on 184 acres of Bakewell Mountain in northwest Hamilton County owned by Atlanta- based Walden Ridge LLC.

However, first the RPA must approve the special permit, and many area landowners are speaking out against the proposal.