Apr 15, 2010
The Waterford Fish and Game Association's site on Route 118 includes a clubhouse and firing ranges. A couple is filing suit against the club, claiming that noise from the range is causing a nuisance.
Share .PARIS — A Waterford couple has filed suit against a local fish and game club, charging that the noise from a firearms range is a nuisance.
John and Debbie Howe charged the Waterford Fish and Game Association with nuisance, negligent infliction of emotional distress and loss of consortium. Prior to filing the lawsuit at Oxford County Superior Court, the Howes made several appearances at Waterford Board of Selectmen meetings to raise concerns about the club's shooting range on Route 118.
According to the minutes of the meetings, the Howes said they formed the Waterford Noise Abatement Coalition to raise concerns about noise from the range. Along with other residents, they said that some firing was done in the early-morning hours and they questioned whether the club had expanded without going before a site plan review.
Paul Brook, vice president of Waterford Fish and Game, said the club's facilities have undergone a number of renovations but no expansion. He said the renovations included the construction of a new clubhouse on the larger footprint of the older one and the installation of a berm that cut the size of the rifle range.
Brook said a skeet-shooting range was put in, but it replaced a trap-shooting site and uses smaller guns than the 12-gauge shotguns used in trap shooting.
“Effectively, there has been no expansion,” Brook said. “We just made the place better.”
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The Waterford Fish and Game Association's site on Route 118 includes a clubhouse and firing ranges. A couple is filing suit against the club, claiming that noise from the range is causing a nuisance.
Share .PARIS — A Waterford couple has filed suit against a local fish and game club, charging that the noise from a firearms range is a nuisance.
John and Debbie Howe charged the Waterford Fish and Game Association with nuisance, negligent infliction of emotional distress and loss of consortium. Prior to filing the lawsuit at Oxford County Superior Court, the Howes made several appearances at Waterford Board of Selectmen meetings to raise concerns about the club's shooting range on Route 118.
According to the minutes of the meetings, the Howes said they formed the Waterford Noise Abatement Coalition to raise concerns about noise from the range. Along with other residents, they said that some firing was done in the early-morning hours and they questioned whether the club had expanded without going before a site plan review.
Paul Brook, vice president of Waterford Fish and Game, said the club's facilities have undergone a number of renovations but no expansion. He said the renovations included the construction of a new clubhouse on the larger footprint of the older one and the installation of a berm that cut the size of the rifle range.
Brook said a skeet-shooting range was put in, but it replaced a trap-shooting site and uses smaller guns than the 12-gauge shotguns used in trap shooting.
“Effectively, there has been no expansion,” Brook said. “We just made the place better.”
READ MORE