JayMcB
NES Member
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There should be a Go Fund Me page for folks who can't make the event. Anyone have the link?
https://www.gofundme.com/pj3nhgqp
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There should be a Go Fund Me page for folks who can't make the event. Anyone have the link?
OP, you need to stop bolding your posts. It annoys people.
To be accurate, neither the Zoning board or the Inspector "lost". The officials of West Boylston were compelled to investigate and hold hearings.
The group opposed to Wayne's continual operation of his private shooting range lost and the leader of this group is retired and simply has no qualms about spending all of his time and considerable money to fight Wayne tooth and nail at every turn until he gets his way.
Meant to quote this in the post above...Anybody can be sued for anything. If you have a neighbor that sees you carrying your guns/cases to the car - they will find a lawyer (for enough $$$$) and he will send you a letter to stop - then if you don't they can sue.
Any lawyer will take any case, if they get paid.
The frivolous lawsuit bar is quite high from what I gather, which brought on the 'Protection of Lawful Commerce Act' (the law about not being able to sue gun shops and manufacturers).
OP, you need to stop bolding your posts. It annoys people.
OP, you need to stop bolding your posts. It annoys people.
Maybe our awesome tee shirt guy can come up with a "Save Wayne's" tee shirt, similar to what was done for GOAL?
This shit keeps up, I'm going to need a bigger closet.
TOO BAD IT ANNOYS YOU OR ANYONE ELSE.
OP, you need to stop bolding your posts. It annoys people.
See above.
TOO BAD IT ANNOYS YOU OR ANYONE ELSE.
They have t-shirts already that say "I'm with Wayne" I bought one at the last fundraiser. Wayne's says "I'm Wayne"
You know what annoys me is a guy like Wayne being persecuted the way he is...So A little letter bolding seems to fit the importance of the cause.Dude give the guy a break his heart is in the right place.
Wish I had seen this post in time. Please, more notice next time.Know its short notice, but it's something to do on a rainy day.
I'm going to play counterpoint on this and am willing to get flamed for it.
Wayne's family may have been shooting on his property for 50 years. But over the last few years it's use has substantially ramped up. Also, it went from being a personal shooting range to being a commercial shooting range in an area that is zoned residential.
Regardless of whether you are a libertarian or anarchist or Republican or Democrat, and regardless of how you feel about property rights, Wayne's new use of the land is incredibly, INCREDIBLY inconsiderate.
This is not a case of neighbors complaining when they moved in next to a pre-existing gun range.
This is a case of neighbors complaining when over the period of a few years the range goes from being a personal range, to a range where IDPA events are held and the local police department uses it for qualifications.
I'm sorry Wayne, but if you want to run a commercial shooting facility you should site it somewhere appropriate for that use. Its just the right thing to do.
What you have done is simply wrong. And pressing your case as a Gun Rights issue is even more wrong.
I am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt as to the research and facts you used to form your opinion. Please do try and take the time to read all of the posts here on NES, as well as on the page of the opposition group, watch the ZBA meetings, and see if you still feel the same way.
Its got nothing to do with guns.
Its about nuisance noise and zoning.
Its an area that is zoned RESIDENTIAL. Wayne and his family used to use the range RECREATIONALLY.
Wayne put a gun shop in an outbuilding using the Home Occupation portion of zoning laws. (pretty common). The most basic part of putting a business into a residential area is the concept that the presence of the business not detract from the residential nature of the neighborhood. This includes traffic parking, signage, dust, effluent, and NOISE.
Prior to Wayne using the range to further the cause of his BUSINESS, it was in personal use, and there were no significant complaints.
The problems began when the range use was expanded to further his BUSINESS interests. His family started shooting there in the 1940s. No complaints until it began to be used COMMERCIALLY in a residential zone.
I am a 2A zealot. But I'm also someone with an interest in zoning. As a result, about 6 months ago I read ALL OF the primary documents related to this suit. The only thing that seemed unreasonable was the requested prohibition of certain firearms. This was SUGGESTED by the zoning enforcement officer (ZEO) and was not part of the original request by the other homeowners.
Those additional requests were stupid in my mind because they changed it from a PURELY zoning related matter into a gun matter. I don't know if those prohibitions have been dropped from the possible action. The ZEO would have no legal basis or authority for prohibiting specific firearms. Their only authority comes from the nuisance noise. (Ironically, silencers, requested in the prohibition, would reduce the nuisance noise)
I love guns.
I love gun people.
But if my neighbor suddenly expanded the use of his range from a couple of hours per weekend to all day, every friday through sunday, every weekend. I'd be through the roof.
This should not be about firearms. It should be about nuisance noise and someone violating the rights of others to live PEACEFULLY outdoors.
Don
- - - Updated - - -
I haven't read every post here. But I have read many of the primary documents around the issue.
I'll post a link if I can find it.
Don
Range is separate from the shop? That's hard to believe based on this pic.
Yes, it clearly says it is closed on Sunday which disproves your assertion that shooting is 7 days a week.
As purchases are not required to shoot at his private range, please tell me how it is connected to his business, especially as the Zoning Board found no such connection.
The Zoning of the property clearly has changed if it was once a sand pit. Is a sand pit common to a residential use? Shooting on the property predates the creation of the single use residential zone the property sits in now.
This means that the nonconforming use (a shooting range) predates the establishment of the single use residential zone, which means there is an effective grandfather clause for that use on that property.
Next?