Shooting range, wilderness survival facility proposed for Winchester
WINCHESTER — A Massachusetts man aims to create an "outdoor Shooting Sport Park mecca for New England" in the Monadnock Region.
Plans are in the
works to turn three properties between Hinsdale and Fenton Hill roads in
Winchester into a shooting range and wilderness survival skills
training area.
People using the wilderness area
will learn skills such as how to find out where they are without using
electronic assistance, navigate through areas using a map and compass,
conceal themselves, make themselves visible for rescues, prepare an
emergency shelter, perform basic first aid, and mentally prepare
themselves for a night in the woods, according to the project's
application with the Winchester Zoning Board of Adjustment.
Ridgeline Shooting Sports LLC, a
Massachusetts-based company, is scheduled to appear before the zoning
board next month seeking a special exception and variance for the
business.
If the zoning board approves the company's requests, the project would then have to go to the planning board for approval.
Alex Hartmann, president of
Ridgeline Shooting Sports, said Friday he started looking into opening a
marksmanship park after he moved back to New England. He learned there
was a need for such a business in the region, he said.
So he seized the opportunity and, after looking at several properties, found what he needed in Winchester, he said.
"Location-wise, I wanted to be in southern New Hampshire," Hartmann, a former U.S. Marine scout sniper, said.
He also wanted a property which was big enough to shoot safely and efficiently, with terrain as level as possible, he said.
"In putting this forward, we're
trying to be stewards of shooting sports. We want to be a good neighbor
and be a functioning park in the local area instead of a just a thorn in
everybody's side," he said.
Besides hiring area residents to
work at the facility, he also hopes to provide a place to work for
military veterans having a difficult time transitioning back to civilian
life, he said.
"Hopefully this place can be a stepping stone for them so they can move on to bigger and better things," he said.
The three properties Hartmann is
eyeing are owned by N&M Winchester Properties LLC of Brattleboro,
and span the agricultural, commercial and residential zoning
districts, according to the project's application.
The parcels are 32, 101 and 115
acres. Two of the lots, which are between Hinsdale Road (Route 119) and
Fenton Hill Road, would be used for the outdoor shooting park, the
application said.
The facility, Ridgeline
Marksmanship Park, would be geared toward mid- to long-range, and action
shooting, according to the application. There would be three long-range
shooting ranges covering distances of 600 to 1,000 yards, four
mid-range courses, and eight short-range courses, including a teaching
range, the application said.
The entrance to the shooting park
would be off Hinsdale Road at the far end of the complex near the
property line. The driveway would lead to a parking lot, which would be
next to a prefabricated building housing a pro-shop, classroom, offices
and storage, according to the application.
The front of the building would have a pavilion where people can eat, rest and talk.
The third property, which abuts
Fenton Hill and Fulman Pond roads, would be for the land navigation and
survival skills area, according to the application.
The navigation area would remain
almost entirely wooded, and a small network of trails and skidder paths
may be developed over time, the application said.
Besides approval from the
Winchester zoning and planning boards, the facility would also need
state approval, according to Hartmann.
The timing is somewhat at the
mercy of when the approvals come through, he said, although if all goes
well, he'd like to open the marksmanship park at some point next year.
"At this point, it's kind of a hopeful shot in the dark," he said.
*The Winchester Zoning Board of
Adjustment will hold a public hearing on the special exception and
variance on Thursday, Aug. 11 at 7 p.m. at the town hall.
Other shooting ranges in the
Monadnock Region include the Cheshire County Fish and Game Club in Keene
and the Monadnock Rod and Gun Club in Jaffrey.
So, with 2 other shooting ranges already in the area, just where is this need he speaks of?
So, with 2 other shooting ranges already in the area, just where is this need he speaks of?
Meghan Foley can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1436, or mfoley@keenesentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @MFoleyKS.
