On March 17, the Sussex County Board of Supervisors and Sussex County Planning Commission held a joint public hearing on an unwarranted and overly restrictive proposed ordinance that would have limited shooting in Sussex County with the intent to drive organized shooting out of the county.
Over the years, the county Board of Supervisors has consistently rejected similar proposals from the Planning Commission due to their negative impact on sportsmen, shooters and business in the county. This past March, the ordinance failed by a 3 to 3 vote.
Yet despite all the rejections, and without proper notice to the public, the county Planning Commission has scheduled a hearing the rehash this proposal on Monday, July 11 at 6:00 pm in the General District Courtroom, Sussex Judicial Center, 15098 Courthouse Road in Sussex.
While many of the onerous proposed regulations have been stricken from the new proposal, some, like requiring a minimum of one person on site with basic first aid and CPR certifications at all times, still remain. The proposal also still includes an onerous approval process for new shooting ranges.
While existing ranges are grandfathered, if an existing range decides to expand or make changes, they will likely forfeit the grandfather protection status and fall under the new regulations. This proposal affects not only resident gun owners, but anyone who may use one of the shooting ranges that operate in Sussex County.
Please plan to attend the meeting on Monday and voice your opposition to this proposal and the Planning Commission's attempt to ram through an ordinance without the public's knowledge or input. If you are unable to attend, please contact the Planning Department at (434) 246-1043.