“What the….?”

Comparing gunfire to (shhhhhhhhhhhhhh!) golf, horseback riding, camping, and tennis? TENNIS???? Why not compare the “silence” of gunfire to bird watching? “Butterfly watching”? “Watching asparagus grow”?

Are you kidding me?

The only “amenity” that comes noisily close is boating and aviation.

Boating does produce some noise, but thankfully we don’t allow jet skis, and as for aviation, the “noise” is only momentary, usually during egress of the airport.

(One of the reasons I settled here was that jet skis were excluded)

It’s also amusing to watch those who rail against, “big government” get itchy palms when they can grubbily rummage into the “free government grants” that are available! Improve our “amenities” at someone else’s expense.  (Ayn Rand would roll over in her grave!)

(I’ll say it again; I’ve nothing against guns, except they have a tendency exacerbate the likely un-exacerbatable and hike the death rate.  You own one, two, three, etc…that’s your business. I could care less.)

Let’s have a rule that all gun-shooting, range loving residents all live surrounding the proposed gun range? If there is any definition to, “disturbing the peace” a gun range in the camping ground, Cottonwood and adjacent Ferretti Road areas will be a sure thing!

Would you disembark in the camping area, pay the fees, with your family, and then wake up the next morning to gunfire?  Would that “amenity” enhance the values of PML? Will we destroy one amenity for another?

Do you feel that PML would be entirely free of lawsuits for “disturbing the peace”?

Can we expect future “enhancements” of our dues to pay for these lawsuits?

(Clay Shooting Range in Jenkins County, Georgia Prohibited from Operating on Sundays (Apr. 10, 2000). “The Fulton County Daily Report reports that a clay shooting range at Hanging Rocks Plantation in Jenkins County , Georgia had a lawsuit filed against it last year by Leroy Clayton, who complained of noise from the firing range. He won the case, and in March the shooting range was told it must not conduct sport shooting on Sundays on property adjacent to Clayton's land. Clayton was not awarded monetary damages in the case.”

Residents Annoyed by Gun Noise at Shooting Range in Lenexa, Kansas (Apr. 5, 2000). “The Kansas City Star reports that the Powder Creek Shooting Park in Lenexa , Kansas has been the focus of numerous complaints about gunfire noise. The shooting range is open on Tuesdays and all weekend long. Resident Scott Elsom has recently moved to Lenexa , and he and his family were immediately bothered by the noise.”

As far as, “….everyone’s cup of tea,” are we going to accommodate ever little whim and whiskey thought that crosses the board’s desk? (How about a “spit-ball range?” That’s kind of quiet!)

Proposed Skeet Shooting Range at Fort Meade in Maryland Is Scrapped Because Environmental Controls Would Cost Too Much (Jan. 26, 2000). “The Capital reports that a proposed trap and skeet shooting range at Fort Meade in Maryland is being scrapped because environmental controls would cost too much to implement. Residents say they're glad, and also criticize the Army for poor communication throughout the process.”

These are just a few examples of scores on scores of others reciting the downside of having gun ranges in their neighborhoods: http://www.nonoise.org/news/fire.htm

Are real estate brokers going to disclose to the buying public that we, “….have a gun (fire) range for you to “enjoy”?  Not mentioning it may be, “just around the corner”?

This, dear residents and readers is a simple case of, “common sense”.

            Especially at the present when there are many who live in PML who because of pension slashing, tight economic times escalating costs like PML dues, a seemingly endless increase in GCSD utility bills, are trying desperately to stay, is this project in the best interests of  the board’s “fiduciary responsibility” and the mandate, “improving property values”?

Some things are just “indefensible”!

(I’m trying to be kind of amusing and mild about this whole thing….some of my friends are absolutely furious!)

Bert Canepa