Oppose the Trousdale Co. Outdoor Gun Range

Did you know a Gun/Firing Range is wanting to move to our HWY 231 North community?  

A lot of families have lived and farmed in this community for most of their lives.  My wife’s family has lived and farmed here for over 75 years.  Lots of our neighbors can say the same thing.   We care about this community and need help to protect it. 

Issue: The Gallatin Gun Club (www.gallatingun.com) is planning to relocate from the Gallatin Steam Plant property to western Trousdale County.  The Federal government terminated their land lease after 50 years.   This private club has 1,500 members and charges $200 per year for membership.  Membership fees generate $300,000 annually for their club.     They have signed a real estate contract to purchase 135 acres of farmland located on HWY 231 N. approximately 3.25 miles north of the Hwy 231 / Hwy 25 intersection.  The sale of this farm to the Gallatin Gun Club is pending based on Trousdale County’s approval to build this new outdoor gun range. 

Currently, the Trousdale Co. codes are very limited and will not protect the best interests of our community.  There are NO restrictions for GUN TYPE.  The hours of operation allow DAYLIGHT to DARK shooting.   This means they can shoot 7 days a week from daylight to dark.  In the summer, these hours could be from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm.  As stated in the Trousdale Co. Zoning regulations for sound levels, “Decibel levels measured at the property lines shall not exceed seventy (70) dB.”   There is no language to define the penalty for exceeding this sound level limit. 

Why is this a problem for our community?

  • Unwanted noise from the constant gun fire will be present 7 days a week.
  •  Property and land values will drop for the entire community.
  •  Resell of property (homes and land) in our community will be difficult, if not impossible.
  • Safety and environmental issues are a concern.  These include stray bullets striking people, livestock, and homes, exposure to airborne lead dust, and lead poisoning to ground water over time.
  •  If the gun club purchases the land, they will have total control PERMANENTLY of how the land is used. (Many gun ranges lease their land, which forces them to be a “good neighbor” to the community.  If they are not a good neighbor, they can lose their lease and be forced to move.) 
  •  If the gun club gets approval to build in Trousdale County, we’re stuck with the gun range FOREVER. 

What MUST we do? Band together and act quickly.   The Gun Club will present their site plan for approval to the Trousdale Co. Planning Commission on Monday, January 9th at 7:00 pm in the Trousdale Co. Courthouse (ground level courtroom).  As a group, we need to represent ourselves at this meeting in full force.  This is an issue for all Trousdale County residents and landowners, as well as our Sumner County neighbors and landowners to the west.    

What can YOU do?

  1. Spread the word throughout our community and Trousdale County to your friends and neighbors.  This is a county wide issue.
  2. Sign this PETITION and encourage others to do the same.
  3. Show up at the Planning Commission meeting and bring as many with you as you can.  You won’t have to speak unless you want to.  We have several community members who have agreed to speak and show our opposition to the approval of the gun range site plan.

 As neighbors, if we don’t Stand-up and Defend ourselves NOW, the building of the gun range will be unopposed and easily approved.  Our community will be stuck with it for the rest of our lives and our future generations.  TOGETHER, we can STOP this nuisance from being built in our community, but we must act NOW!!!