Ukiah Daily Journal Staff
Updated: 04/17/2011 12:20:53 AM PDT
Recommends city, county determine who has jurisdiction over the facility
The Ukiah Gun Club (UGC) needs closer supervision and more safety provisions to prevent dangers such as ricocheting bullets, the Mendocino County Grand Jury reported Friday.
According to the report titled: "Ricochet Bullets -- No Problem!" the GJ investigated the Ukiah Rifle and Pistol Club on Vichy Springs Road to determine if there was any "possible danger to the public or liability to public agencies."
The GJ found that metal targets and metal-framed targets are used at the UGC, which leases nearly 97 acres on property that is owned by the city of Ukiah, but which is outside the city limits in Mendocino County.
The GJ describes the UGC as a "private, non-profit organization" that was "grandfathered in" as a non-comforming use in 1982. It has 80 members and is used by law enforcement agencies, including the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office, for training.
The GJ notes that it was denied access to UGC facilities to conduct its investigation.
The GJ report states that "ricochets have been reported and a gunshot wound from a richochet bullet has been reported in the press," and that "a UGC internal newsletter verified that a richochet problem exists."
According to the GJ, the UGC's October 2010 newsletter "addressed the construction of a new pistol range, a second pistol range and re-terracing the shotgun range," and that all three "would be violations of the
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lease" the UGC currently has with the city.
The GJ claims that both the county and city "disclaim responsibility as to who has planning/zoning jurisdiction over the property," and both entities "are content with the status quo unless there is a nuisance complaint.
"That is not acceptable since there are real safety issues," the report continues. "There is also concern about the county's failure to regulate this gun range, which potentially creates a liability for the county."
The GJ reports that outdoor gun ranges in other areas have been shut down "because of liability concerns including stray bullets and ricochets."
The GJ recommends that "the city and county resolve the disagreement over planning/zoning jurisdiction," and that the city "designate a department to oversee and enforce provisions of the lease."
The report also recommends that the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors enact ordinances "barring the use of metal targets and metal-framed targets, requiring (the use) of hay bales or sand berms behind targets to alleviate possibility of ricochets, and requiring use of bullets other than metal-jacketed rounds for target practice."
The GJ also recommends that the city or county planning commissions "ensure all buildings modified or built after 1982 be inspected for compliance," and that other issues that may be substantial such as "lead contamination, air quality, traffic and others" were not addressed in this report.
Read the report online at www.co.mendocino.ca.us/grandjury
http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ci_17867183
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