News

Riddle drops proposed shooting range

Janae Daley implores county commissioners to stop plans for a gun range on Summer Road in Edneyville.

By Bill Moss, Published: May 22, 2025

The developer who applied for a permit to build a  shooting range on Summer Road has dropped the plans. Andrew Riddle, a commercial real estate broker, issued a statement saying that he had been scouting for a suitable site for a gun range ever since the Henderson County Board of Commissioners eased zoning restrictions on them in 2021.

"While not able to fully realize the finished design of the range, and safety measures that would be in place, I understand the deep concerns of the surrounding communities of residents so I have concluded I will be withdrawing my application for the project," Riddle said.

Homeowners who live near the proposed firing range site were elated at the news.

“It’s fantastic. It’s great the commissioners listened to our concerns,” said Dan Kinkel, one of the organizers of the opposition. “I assume they did their job and talked to Andrew. The people had a voice and the county listened and it worked out.”

Thirty to 40 residents of the rural community in Edneyville that’s near the shooting range site attended a Board of Commissioners meeting on Wednesday morning, and many of them implored commissioners to stop the firing range, including a young mother was holding her baby across her shoulder.

The mother of five children — “all of whom play, learn and grow right here in this community” — Janae Daley holds a degree in early childhood development.

“I'm here today to speak not just as a parent, but as an advocate for all the children and families in this community,” she said. “Placing a gun range at a high elevation poses serious risks, not only because of the noise, but because of how sound travels farther and louder from the top of a mountain. With fewer obstacles to absorb the sound, the gunshots are going to carry miles in every direction.”

“For the children, this isn't just a nuisance, it's a developmental threat. The World Health Organization warns that children exposed to chronic environmental noise, including sudden gunfire, are at an increased risk for delayed reading, memory impairment and attention span, and this also greatly increases stress hormones. Their ears are more sensitive, and once the hearing is damaged at a young age, it can't be restored.”

“I urge the board to reconsider, because once this is built, there's no turning back," she said. "It shows incredible negligence to allow a gun range to be put in our neighborhood, knowing the harm it does to the entire surrounding community. But if we say no now we protect our children's health, their play and everybody's peace of mind, and make sure that everybody is comfortable and safe in their own homes.”

Although he stopped short of saying he had urged Riddle to drop his application for a permit, board Chair Bill Lapsley told the Summer Road residents that he understood their concerns.

“We hear you,” he said. “On behalf of my colleagues, we have received numerous emails pointing out the issues that you've discussed this morning. We've recognized that we are following the process that our ordinance has at the moment. We understand that an appeal is pending to the Zoning Board of Adjustment on this matter.”

He said he thought all five commissioners had driven to the area to check it out.

“I know I have voiced my concerns to Mr. Riddle, but at this point we are discussing the matter with legal counsel, and we'll see what transpires as a result of the appeal,” he said.

By early Thursday morning, Riddle had made the decision to drop the shooting range plans.

Here is Riddle's full statement:

Since the 2021 zoning amendment that expanded the allowable locations for commercial outdoor shooting ranges across 8 of the 10 zoning districts in Henderson County, I have diligently explored numerous mountainous terrains and thoroughly analyzed maps in pursuit of a suitable property.

My objective has been to identify a site that fully complies with all relevant ordinance requirements while also placing safety measures for surrounding land, streams, and noise for the impact of such a facility. 

After taking the time to consult environmentalists, as well as studying measures to ensure safety and minimal impact to the land and surrounding neighbors, the property on Summer Road emerged as a location that appeared to meet not only the technical criteria set forth by the county, but could be safely constructed to have a safe outdoor commercial shooting range.

I remain committed to finding a more remote and appropriate location—one that both satisfies regulatory standards and minimizes disruption to the residents of Henderson County.

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