HYANNIS – Barnstable Town Council voted Thursday night to postpone their decision on a land swap with the state that would bring the town closer to opening the West Barnstable Shooting Range.
Environmental Assessor Dick Preddicord, who was scheduled to attend the session, was stuck in snow and was unable to attend. Town officials learned Thursday afternoon that Preddicord would not be able to attend, according to Barnstable Town Councilor Ann Canedy.
Preddicord was expected to give a presentation on a the environment assessment of the shooting range property prepared by the firm MT2.
The report details the cost of an environmental clean-up of the property which is contaminated with lead from bullets. The clean-up would cost anywhere from $1 to $2 million for a cursory clean-up allowed for a shooting range to upwards of $7 million for a complete clean-up, Canedy said.
But, she said, the report does not include costs for noise mitigation, which would also have a cost.
Several neighbors opposed to the shooting range being located on conservation land in West Barnstable spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting.
West Barnstable resident Hilary Sandler questioned the completeness of the report.
“MT2 took 87 samples over a 22-acre area. That’s about four samples per acre which really isn’t enough to give us the good information we need to make a good decision,” said Sandler.
West Barnstable resident Lisa Henrickson spoke about her displeasure with the shooting range during the meeting.
“For all three ranges this additional clear-cutting totals more than 10 times the existing amount of deforested conservation land and will result in an increase in noise levels within the conservation area and other residentially zoned areas,” said Henrickson.
Councilors agreed to postpone the vote until their meeting on May 21.
