Gun range ordered to shutdown (+some stupid sheeple bonus quotes too)

[mbz4ever]

Question for Mr. Lee - 3 years ago why did you buy a home next to the rifle range and now complaining about noise and danger living next to it and all other bs...
same story as peopple buying homes next to airports or farms then complaining about smell and noise.
people are f***tards.

 

[Coyote33]

Clinton, Lancaster near agreement on rifle range

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Clinton, Lancaster near agreement on rifle range

By Lynne Klaft CORRESPONDENT
and Karen Nugent TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
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LANCASTER — Clinton and Lancaster are two board votes away from setting ground rules allowing the Clinton Police Department to use the former firing range as a training and shooting qualification gun range. Police use of the range, ongoing for decades, has recently sparked renewed animosity in nearby neighborhoods in both towns, and among officials.

A pending memorandum of understanding setting guidelines for use of the 12.3-acre range, which is on the Clinton line and owned by the town of Clinton, is expected to be approved by selectmen in the two towns. Lancaster's board will meet Thursday; Clinton has a meeting scheduled for Tuesday.

If the agreement is approved as expected, a September cease-and-desist order against the Clinton police issued by the Lancaster zoning enforcement officer will be amended, permitting them to use the range under the following conditions:

The range, also called the Brandli parcel, will be used for officer training and firearms qualification only.

Police use will be restricted to 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with the exception of night training, which will not exceed four nights per calendar year. Shooting on Sundays and holidays will be prohibited.

Just before use, Clinton officers must log in with the Clinton police dispatcher, giving the date, time, and estimated duration of use. After receiving such a call, the Clinton dispatcher must immediately call the Lancaster police dispatcher and provide the information.

For qualification shooting, Clinton police must inform the Lancaster Police Department of its intended use of the range five days in advance.

Only Clinton Police Department approved firearms will be permitted.

The memorandum, dated Monday, was hammered out with Lancaster Town Administrator Orlando Pacheco and lawyers from both towns, along with Clinton Police Chief Mark R. Laverdure, who was angered last month when the cease-and-desist order arrived unexpectedly at the start of the semi-annual qualification training period in October; and Lancaster Police Chief Kevin D. Lamb.

Mr. Pacheco said both chiefs agreed to the plan, although Lancaster police train on a different range, off Pine Hill Road in Lancaster.

Chief Laverdure declined comment on the agreement yesterday, because it has not been signed by selectmen.

A prior cease and desist order issued in April 2007 against the Clinton Fish & Game Protective Association Inc. which who holds the lease to the property, stopped recreational shooting within the residential area and was upheld by the Lancaster Zoning Board of Appeals.

Since the second cease and desist order was issued, town officials from both towns have met to discuss an agreement that was workable on both sides.

“The memorandum of understanding as it will be presented to both boards is intended to be straightforward, with the appropriate notification to Lancaster, and will give the town of Clinton the flexibility to use the site as they need to,” Mr. Pacheco said. “Once we were able to sit down with counsel and the chiefs, it was easy coming to a win-win.”

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Selectmen want tighter agreement on rifle range

Friday, November 6, 2009

Selectmen want tighter agreement on rifle range

By Lynne Klaft CORRESPONDENT
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LANCASTER — After hearing complaints from residents, selectmen said last night they want a much more restrictive agreement with Clinton than the one proposed for the use of the former rifle range by the Clinton police.

“I want to be a good neighbor, but I want this agreement to be as strict as possible,” said Selectman Christopher J. Williams, who said he had been getting calls and e-mails all day.

Chairman Jennifer B. Leone agreed, saying she wanted it to be “tight, with no wiggle room.”

They described changes they wanted in the memorandum of understanding that was presented to the board last night. The proposed agreement between the two towns would allow Clinton police to use the rifle range at the 12.3-acre “Brandli” parcel in the South Meadow Pond area of Lancaster.

The Lancaster zoning enforcement officer ordered Clinton police to stop shooting at the range in September, and since then town officials, counsels and both police chiefs have been negotiating an agreement.

Clinton has appealed the cease-and-desist order with the Lancaster Zoning Board of Appeals, which will hear the case at the end of December if an agreement is not reached.

Selectmen said last night they want police to use the range only in October, rather than year-round, and only from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, not on Saturdays.

Among other changes, they want the right to random inspections by the zoning enforcement officer and legal consequences for any violations detected.

Three Clinton residents and one from Lancaster attended the meeting last night to voice their and their South Meadow Pond neighbors’ opinions against the proposed agreement.

Former Lancaster Selectman David Dunn said, “This is pitting one town against another and putting it into the laps of the boards, who shouldn’t be put in that position. We don’t want people to say that our town didn’t try to help the Police Department officers qualify, but there should be specific times and none of us should feel that their Police Department will retaliate against us.”

“I think we are poking at Pandora’s box and will be going from one problem to another, and who’s going to police the police?” Clinton resident Dennis Parker asked.

He said Clinton police could just as easily use other, nearby shooting ranges.

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[Dnotarianni]

Seems that passing a zoning law which denies you rights to your own property that you've always had would be violation of :

Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.


The govt has in effect seized their property in that they cannot use it in the manner to which it has been.


In reading the last paragraph I personally don't know why there has not been a lawsuit brought against the town. Effectively the new zoning has destroyed a business and in effect restricted the land owners from using their property for a lawful and established use

 

[BaldAssCat]

Seems that passing a zoning law which denies you rights to your own property that you've always had would be violation of :

Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.


The govt has in effect seized their property in that they cannot use it in the manner to which it has been.


In reading the last paragraph I personally don't know why there has not been a lawsuit brought against the town. Effectively the new zoning has destroyed a business and in effect restricted the land owners from using their property for a lawful and established use

There was a lawsuit against the cease and desist order issued against the fish and game club. While it was pending a hearing one of the people from the South Meadow Home Owners org. ran for and got elected to the Clinton board of selectmen. The first thing he did when he got in was drop the suit. The fish and game club is arguing that there’s a conflict of interest but the better part of the board is anti so it never gets too far.

 

[Tim111]

There was a lawsuit against the cease and desist order issued against the fish and game club. While it was pending a hearing one of the people from the South Meadow Home Owners org. ran for and got elected to the Clinton board of selectmen. The first thing he did when he got in was drop the suit. The fish and game club is arguing that there’s a conflict of interest but the better part of the board is anti so it never gets too far.

They need to contact the AG's office. We just went through something similar and most of our city council was forced out by the AG's office. Small town politics will always be small town politics until the state gets involved.

 

[LoginName]

Clinton, Lancaster near agreement on rifle range


Selectmen want tighter agreement on rifle range

The range, also called the Brandli parcel, will be used for officer training and firearms qualification only.

Make'em require submitting a 30 day notification and have paid detail officers present.

 

[Coyote33]

Gun range dispute over deadline for a hearing date is a standoff

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Gun range dispute over deadline for a hearing date is a standoff


By Karen Nugent Telegram & Gazette Staff and Lynne Klaft CORRESPONDENT
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It may be open fire at the former rifle range off South Meadow Road — at least for the Clinton Police Department — as Lancaster’s Zoning Board of Appeals apparently missed a deadline for holding a public hearing.

Clinton Town Solicitor Robert B. Gibbons said Lancaster was required to hold a public hearing within 65 days of Clinton’s appeal of an Oct. 29 cease-and-desist order prohibiting police training, along with any other shooting, at the controversial range, which is in Lancaster but is owned by Clinton.

Mr. Gibbons said in a Jan. 15 letter to the Lancaster board that the hearing’s time limit can only be extended by written agreement between the applicant (the town of Clinton) and the board, with copies of any agreement filed in the town clerk’s office.

“As you know, there has been no such agreement reached in this matter,” Mr. Gibbons said in the letter. “Therefore, under the statute, the Board of Appeals’ failure to hold a timely hearing is deemed a grant of the appeal.”

Lancaster officials do not agree, and fired a volley of their own.

Citing a different state law, Lancaster Town Administrator Orlando Pacheco said yesterday the zoning board is only required to render a decision within 100 days, or by Feb. 6. The board has set a public hearing on the range for 7 p.m. Feb. 4 at Lancaster’s Town Hall auditorium.

“We have spoken with counsel and are going to proceed in an appropriate, legal manner,” Mr. Pacheco said.

The zoning board, he said, tried to schedule the public hearing for Jan. 28, after several e-mails to Mr. Gibbons beginning in mid-December, but was unsuccessful.

He said Mr. Gibbons was to get a signed extension request from Clinton selectmen before the zoning board could properly schedule and advertise a public hearing. But Mr. Gibbons said it was up to Lancaster to request such an extension.

Clinton Police Chief Mark R. Laverdure, who was angered by the initial cease-and-desist order, yesterday accused Lancaster officials — Mr. Pacheco and Selectman Christopher J. Williams in particular — of being disingenuous in their talks.

Chief Lavedure said no police qualifications, typically held in October, or training are scheduled at the range.

“It will be a while before we use it,” he said. “There will be little or no use of the range until October.”

The range, also known as the Brandli parcel, has been the subject of complaints from neighbors in both towns for years. Since the 1920s, it was used for target shooting and training by the military, police and sportsmen. Two years ago, the Lancaster zoning board denied an appeal from the Clinton Fish & Game Protective Association to shoot at the range, but police were allowed to continue their yearly firearms qualifications until the cease-and-desist order was issued by Lancaster Building Inspector Peter Munro on Sept. 29.

Since then, the two towns have tried to hammer out an agreement to continue allowing Clinton officers to train there so they could complete qualifications while on duty. Otherwise, Chief Laverdure said, they would have to leave town and be paid overtime. He has also repeatedly pointed out how often Clinton officers are called on to help the smaller Lancaster force.

Lancaster selectmen voted to end negotiations with Clinton over the police department’s use of the range during a Dec. 7 executive session, saying they did not have legal jurisdiction to enter into a memorandum of agreement without violating the scope of the Lancaster Zoning Board of Appeals.

Clinton Selectman Kevin R. Haley said he is disappointed the range has created so much turmoil.

“It is too bad we were not able to come to a memorandum of understanding with the Lancaster selectmen, and that it had to come to this,” he said.

Mr. Gibbons in his letter said Clinton officials are willing to resume negotiations, and perhaps agree on a memorandum of understanding outlining parameters such as the times and days when police shooting would be allowed, and the types of firearms used. Mr. Haley said those parameters were a sticking point in the discussions.

“It is in the best interests of both towns to refocus their efforts on reaching a mutual agreement at this time,” Mr. Gibbons said in the letter.

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[BigMike]

The fire station I was previously assigned to is surrounded by a large number condominiums.

When prospective buyers come to look at the units, there's no hiding or missing the fact that there is this big ugly squat building with 3 bay doors and 3 large shiny red trucks with flashing lights and sirens parked inside. Yet, over the years we've had neighbors ask, request, complain that we try to refrain from sounding the sirens or laying on the air horn when we leave the station.

We explain to them that we do it because it's a safety issue (motorists routinely either ignore us or are so wrapped up in other activities other than driving that near accidents are the norm). We explain that we never use the sirens or horn late at night or excessively. Mostly they understand, but there's been times when I wish I (we), could have asked them flat out... "WTF were you thinking when you bought the place. It didn't occur to you that living next door to a fire station might be noisy at any given time"?

You know what's funny? The first thing that would come to MY mind, is that if we have a fire emergency at my house, we have the best and bravest RIGHT OVER THERE!!!

I lived in Winthrop near the water and runway of Logan. Although planes are not allowed to fly directly over Winthrop, the planes taking off and landing every 2 minutes never bothered me.

I'm fairly liberal, but I guess not the crybaby-entitled pussy-type of liberal