Gun Range Causing Reg­u­lation Dif­fi­culty with City, County

RANDOLPH COUNTY -- Some say setting rules and regulations for a gun range property is like trying to hit a moving target. Carolina Guns and Gears’ property is in both the town of Franklinville and Randolph County.

As the facility has grown in popularity, it's caused frustrations for some who live near it, including Freddy Coats.

"I mean you can hear this for miles away," Coats said.

He lives directly in front of the range across from U.S. Highway 64 East. Coats and his neighbors have complained about it.

"I talked to people that live probably a mile away, and they say they hear it," said Coats.

After change in owners, the complaints started filing in to Randolph County's Planning Director Jay Dale.

"The people that live next door to it, they were calling us and saying it had become unbearable."

But none of those people have tried to talk with the co-owner.

"If I were living near a range that had noise I certainly would understand not wanting a range there," said Stephen Denny, Carolina Guns and Gears co-owner.

The range is allowed to be on U.S. Highway 64 but its location is causing a new concern.

"I honestly think that they didn't know that they had to be zoned,” Dale said. “It was already operating. I think they purchased it in good faith."

One of the problems is that the building and gun range are in Franklinville and everything else behind the building is technically in Randolph County.

"We've talked to some of the people from Franklinville because there was some confusion about who exactly is responsible for this," said Dale.

The confusion has left the City of Franklinville, Randolph County and owners of Carolina Guns and Gears in a gray area.

"Anything that we can do to make sure that we're inside whatever boundaries that the county wants,” Denny said. “We're going to work our best with our legal team to make sure we satisfy that."

Whatever the outcome, Coats says he hopes it'll keep his neighborhood quiet.

Randolph County's lawyer is looking into the zoning of the gun range. The county is expected to have a decision on Dec. 5 during the county commissioners meeting.