Test Wells, Marketing Study Planned for West Barnstable Shooting Range

507511077WEST BARNSTABLE – A workshop on the town-owned shooting range that the Barnstable Town Council had scheduled for last night was postponed.

Barnstable Town Council President Jessica Rapp-Grassetti said the workshop will likely take place in the fall after the council gets a range of information, such as results of testing wells and a marketing study.

Rapp-Grassetti said the workshop was scheduled, “pending information, and we don’t have the information that we need. So I don’t want to have a workshop since we don’t have any new information since our last discussion on the item which was three months ago.”

The shooting range in the West Barnstable Conservation Area was closed in 2012 after the town’s insurance company discovered the range was not covered under the town’s policy.

An issue than arose when state environmental officials determined the shooting range use was not allowed on the parcel because it was purchased with state open space funds. The town then arranged to “swap” an equal-sized parcel off Breed’s Hill Road, putting that 17-acre under a conservation restriction, in order to allow the shooting range use to continue.

State environmental officials were amenable to the swap.

Earlier this year, a consultant reported to the town council on the environmental damage to the property from the shooting range. The town council is now discussing how to clean up the lead pollution on the property.

In the meantime, some neighbors of the West Barnstable property would prefer that the shooting range not reopen, citing safety and noise issues.

Barnstable Assistant Town Manager Mark Ells gave a report to the town council last night outlining the items that need to be resolved before a town council workshop can be held, including test wells and the marketing study.

 



CapeCod.com
737 West Main Street
Hyannis, MA 02601
Contact Us | Advertise Terms of Use 
Employment and EEO | Privacy