Gun Club Target of Criticism, Support

The May 7 headline, “Gun Club Plan Raises Concern for Neighbors,” raises more than concerns about the club, it raises serious concerns about the integrity of the folks proposing it.

Gun club President Harold Ingram is either intending to mislead or is seriously misinformed when stating “most of the people in that area support us.” The fact is that most residents didn’t know about the project until about 10 days ago.

The call for a thorough and complete environmental impact report is absolutely on target here. The short of it is that the club claims it has some amount of money and a limited amount of time (despite the fact they’ve had years to deal with this problem) to relocate. They then somehow use this rationale to justify why they shouldn’t have to do an environmental impact report under California law.

Fact is, their lack of planning and resources cannot and does not justify circumvention of environmental laws or the spreading of undocumented claims about local public approval.

SHERRY LEE MEDDICK

Silverado

* The article on the relocation of the Orange County Shooting and Training Center described the situation pretty well. However, there are several important points that require clarification.

The club has leased its present location from the Irvine Co. for 20 years. During these past five years when it was announced that a freeway extension would extend through the property, negotiations were initiated with the Irvine Co. to help the club in this forced relocation. There was nothing underhanded, subversive or kept from the public’s eye that would suggest that the club was hiding anything or working with the Board of Supervisors to expedite the relocation.

The Irvine Co. has been extremely cooperative in its efforts to help the club find a location that was remote, not targeted for building development, large enough to satisfy the needs of the club, and, of course, affordable. Its best recommendation was the Baker Canyon site, which satisfied all of the concerns.

It must be noted that the Baker Canyon area is sparsely settled, and Silverado Canyon is about four miles east of the proposed site. Environmental studies, biological tests, landscape considerations--including great care in the preservation of the native oak trees--audio tests, and traffic studies have all been conducted and the results are documented. Add to this the fact that the new architectural scheme locates the various ranges--pistol, rifle and shotgun--in positions that they would provide no threat to anyone or anything in the 180 acres that would comprise the new club.

Safety is a prime consideration, and training is the necessary part of that dedication. Also, it must be mentioned that this club provides a training facility for the FBI, SWAT teams, many city police departments, the Sheriff’s Department, the DEA, as well as the IRS. Outdoor local training for our law enforcement organizations, who represent our ability to fight crime, is extremely important today.

We are an asset to Orange County. We need the new location and Orange County needs a gun club to continue to provide a safe place to enjoy one of the oldest sports that still exists in America.

D.W. DODSON

Member, Board of Directors

O.C. Shooting and Training Center