Law enforcement shooting range permit clears hurdle

A proposed outdoor shooting range cleared the hurdle after the Nye County Sheriff’s Office and Valley Electric Association, Inc., came to a consensus over a proposed facility.

The proposed shooting range for the Nye County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement was put on hold in February after VEA, who has a 100-foot easement along the west edge of the property, expressed concerns about potential damage to its equipment located near the the site.

In a document presented to the Nye County Planning Department by VEA staff counsel Emily Schneider, VEA said that the facility can pose a “significant risk” to the reliability of VEA’s electric system.

“Despite precautions taken, it may be possible for bullets to damage the VEA facilities,” the statement reads. “This can cause outages for VEA members, including Nye County. Repairs and replacement of these facilities can be very costly and will be billed to the project owner.”

A conditional use permit granted to the Nye County Sheriff’s Office by the Pahrump Regional Planning Commission for construction of an outdoor shooting range last week said the site will be surrounded by approximately 15-foot-high dirt berms, approximately 30 feet in width, with a 22-foot-high berm backstop.

The proposed shooting range will be located in the northeast portion of the parcel to the south of the existing paintball shooting facility at the southwest corner of Mesquite Avenue and Higley Road.

No shooting should be done outside of the bermed area, according to the requirements. Officials will also have to conduct annual lead testing in a monitor well.

VEA coordinator Rebecca Oscarson said if there’s any damage to the facilities, the Nye County Sheriff’s Office will be responsible for “100 percent of those costs.”

The applicant, Nye County Sheriff’s Office, will also have to obtain approval of a site development plan for Nye County Department of Public Works and Pahrump Fire and Rescue prior to construction.

In addition, the Nye County Sheriff’s Office will have to comply with all applicable county, state and federal laws, rules and regulations.

Contact reporter Daria Sokolova at dsokolova@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @dariasokolova77