EAGLE, ID — Eagle homeowners are concerned about possible noise pollution caused by a planned gun range that will be built less than a mile away from their homes.
- The City of Eagle has plans to build the Eagle Shooting Sports Park.
- The range will be in the Foothills off Willow Creek Rd.
- Residents who live near the future site are concerned about possible noise pollution.
- A noise study was done by the city of Eagle that found the sound from guns firing will be muffled by two hills and a basin.
- The residents conducted their own sound study that found the noise was still heard.
- The project has only been funded for the first two phases which are archery ranges. The total project is planned to take 3-5 years.
- Locals also use the area recreationally to hike or ride equestrian and are concerned that the loud noise may make it challenging to enjoy these hobbies.
- The residents are planning on taking legal action once ground is broken for the gun range portion.
- More information on the project can be found here.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
This sign says no shooting and that might change due to a proposed gun range. I’m your Eagle neighborhood reporter Alexander Huddleston, and the neighbors are not excited and they plan to fight back.
"You know people like to raise animals. chickens, goats, sheep, so you know it’s very much a gentleman farmer type of community," said Michael Faraino.
Michael Faraino is a homeowner in the Eagle Foothills, who along with his neighbors enjoy a quiet pastoral lifestyle.
"You can hear a pin drop most of the time. It’s very very quiet," whispered Faraino.
That quietness may become a little polluted in the future as the city of Eagle plans to start development on an 80-acre shooting sports park right down the road.
Faraino explained, "I love gun ranges. I shoot. I wing shoot. I'm their customer. I have no problem with gun ranges. None of us do. You shouldn't put it right next to a residential neighborhood. Our number one concern is the obvious sound pollution and noise pollution."
I took a trip to Eagle City Hall to talk to Nichoel Baird Spencer, the director of long-range planning and capital projects for the city of Eagle about this noise issue.
Baird Spencer broke down, "Sound is measured from the property line of a project. So how much noise is traveling across the property line. We chose to use the highest point interior in our site versus the property line which was in a valley."
Baird Spencer explained that they layered the test shots to emulate having all lanes at the range shooting at the same time. The study came back saying the noise was muffled enough due to the two foothills between the planned range and the homes. Faraino says that his HOA conducted a noise study of their own and came to the conclusion that these natural barriers were not enough to muffle the sound.
"This project is only funded for phases one and two," said Baird Spencer.
These phases are two different types of archery ranges for which Faraino says the residents have no issue with due to the lack of noise pollution. However, the foothills are also recreationally used by hikers and the equestrian community.
"Even with the equestrian community is very much against this, because a lot of horses are spooked by gunfire," exclaimed Faraino.
With a new mayor and council in office, Faraino and his neighbors hope that they can work with the city to change the plan or move the development farther into the hills.
Faraino finished with, "Think of your neighbor. Everyone espouses to be conservative in Eagle and that is fine. But whether you are conservative, whether you are liberal it really doesn’t matter. It really does come down to the right in this country to have the quiet enjoyment of your home and your property.
Faraino says that he and his HOA will take legal action as soon as the city breaks ground for the gun range. Reporting in the foothills, I'm your Eagle neighborhood reporter Alexander Huddleston, Idaho News 6.
