9.12.050 Shooting ranges.

(1)    Definitions.

(a)    “Shooting range” means a facility designed for and providing space for safe target practice with firearms, archery equipment, and other weapons.

(b)    “Private shooting range” means a shooting range used solely by the premises owner and his or her guests without charge, fee, dues or other remuneration, including charging for parking, targets, ammunition and the like, and no more than five (5) people, excluding owners of the premises, may use the range for shooting activities within a twenty-four (24) consecutive hour period.

(c)    “Commercial shooting range” means any other shooting range, including registered nonprofit clubs.

(d)    “Safety officer” means a person or persons appointed by the operators of a commercial shooting range to oversee the safe discharge of weapons in accordance with any conditions of approval and any other additional safety specifications which may be adopted by the operators of the shooting range.

(2)    Any person or entity desiring to shoot firearms within areas restricted by Section 9.12.026 must do so in a shooting range and comply with any additional safety specifications which may be adopted by the operators of the shooting range.

(3)    Applications for commercial shooting ranges shall be processed as conditional use permits under Chapter 2.51 and Section 40.520.030 of this code. Private ranges shall be subject to the review and approval provisions of Section 40.520.020 of this code. Community development and the county sheriff shall review the application and may impose conditions of approval, including proof of insurance for the facility. If the approval authority finds that adequate provision is made to ensure the safety of residents surrounding the area of the shooting range and the public at large, and that the location and operation of the shooting range is in compliance with zoning regulations, including Sections 40.520.020(C) or 40.520.030(E), it shall approve the application subject to appropriate conditions.

(4)    Ranges approved pursuant to this section shall be subject to periodic reinspection by the sheriff every five (5) years; provided, that more frequent inspections may be done at the discretion of the sheriff. In reviewing ranges for safety, the sheriff shall be guided by the current edition of the “NRA Range Source Book,” published by the National Rifle Association.

(5)    In addition to the grounds for revocation set forth in Section 40.520.030(F), revocation may be based upon a change of circumstances which renders the continued operation of the range clearly unsafe. (Ord. 1975-04-7; Ord. 1974-10-15; amended by Sec. 39 of Ord. 1990-02-01; amended by Sec. 6 of Ord. 1989-04-25; amended by Sec. 4 of Ord. 1995-12-31; amended by Sec. 5 of Ord. 1997-12-46; amended by Sec. 1 of Ord. 2006-09-13; amended by Sec. 1 of Ord. 2008-06-02; amended by Sec. 1 (Att. A § 1) of Ord. 2011-08-08)