I am not here tonight to speak in favor of the proposed firing range on Glebe Road (although I am not opposed to it) but rather to protest the manner in which the County is trying to block it.
If you are trying to block it because you think it is bad for the county, then you are trying to do so after the fact. There should have already been something in place, a “ZONING OR A LAND USE PLAN” so the idea would never have occurred.
If you are trying to block it because you think it is bad for the county, you should be trying to do something to reduce the amount of excessive subsidized/Section 8 housing/welfare we have in the county. This problem does far more to devalue property in the county than a firing range in one neighborhood will. Crime associated with this problem is a greater safety problem than the range will create.
If you are trying to block it because you think it is bad for the county, then you should also be trying to do something to block the proposed High Speed Rail. It will split the county and city in half, force farmers and land owners along the route to drive excessive miles to tend their land, home owners to do the same, and in the city force a complete and entire overhaul of its emergency response policy. This HSR will also devalue more land than the proposed firing range and create more safety problems.
If all of this effort is to protect the county, then you are about 40 years too late, and, Mr. Chairman, I am aware of your saying and it does not apply here.
Robert L. Duke
Middleburg, Vance County