Gun club faces further scrutiny
Jason Doetzer, left, owner of the Iron City Gun Club LLC, acted as his own attorney Wednesday night as he gave closing comments to Robinson Township Zoning Hearing Board.
Zoning Hearing Board solicitor Harlan Stone, left, played referee throughout the meeting, repeatedly advising Jason Doetzer, front right, to stop interrupting witnesses and testifying while he was acting as his own attorney.
McDONALD – Is it a sporting club, a shooting range or both? That’s the loaded question Robinson Township Zoning Hearing Board is trying to answer following the second hearing on the subject Wednesday to evaluate whether the zoning permit authorizing Iron City Armory Gun Club LLC to operate a shooting range at 920 King Road is valid or not.
The board tabled a decision to its Aug. 17 meeting.
The central issue is whether the gun club can act as a gun range under the permit issued in the spring. But more issues have cropped up related to alleged commercial operations, which are prohibited under the permit.
The issue of whether the owner, Jason Doetzer, has been operating as a legitimate club was questioned late in the hearing. Doetzer, acting as his own attorney, said in response to a question from township solicitor Gretchen Moore he didn’t want to register as a nonprofit club with the state.
“I’ll be honest, I don’t want to pay $1,400 to the state. I just feel it’s extortion,” Doetzer said.
The range was served with a cease-and-desist order June 2 by McDonald police regarding three separate violations as the range was advertising sale of ammunition on-site, rental of guns on the website and had reported noise violations after 10 p.m. The cease-and-desist order is still valid, according to Moore, but neighboring residents said shooting has continued.
Doetzer also said in response to Moore’s questions he was seeking a Federal Firearms License, a license to sell weapons at the range, which is prohibited under the zoning permit that allows the range to operate strictly as a gun club.
“The time for you to argue (and appeal) under the current permit has come and gone,” Moore said to Doetzer, after he said he was appealing his permit while simultaneously seeking the FFL. Moore also told the board “subsequent to the issuance of the permit, there are issues related to the operation that are going on that are more commercial.”
“Testimony has shown a couple things,” said Steve Taczak, the attorney representing neighbors. “This is not a club; it’s a business. If you look at your ordinances, shooting range is defined. There’s no definition for gun club or sportsman’s club. You have to fit this (range) into something that’s in the ordinances. It’s not permitted in the (Interchange Business Development) districts, and only in industrial districts.”
Several neighbors within a mile of the range talked about noise and safety issues. Moore and Doetzer both objected performance issues were not relevant to the initial issuance of the permit, with Moore saying those issues could be argued at a revocation hearing if it came before the zoning hearing board again. Zoning hearing board solicitor Harlan Stone allowed testimony to continue.
“We’ve had damage to our place, had to replace the liner in our swimming pool; we’ve heard bullets whizzing by as we’re mowing the lawn,” said Elizabeth Borovich, of 146 Robinson Church Road.
“The noise is constant since the inception of this gun club. It’s been incessant. On July 12, I heard explosions from the area. I’m afraid to take my kids outside,” said Sean Kramer, of 232 Robinson Church Road.
Michael Joyce, of 826 King Road, who testified at the previous hearing in June, filed a police report July 6 “gunfire was heard coming from the pistol range … (and) on a previous occasion, due to the complaints of shots being fired over the back stops in the vicinity of the residents, Iron City Gun Club made an agreement with the Robinson Township Zoning Officer to (refrain) from utilizing these particular ranges,” according to the McDonald police report.