Town focused on restricting shooting ranges

The Town of Grafton is considering a proposed ordinance to limit the use of firearms, a move that would effectively eliminate shooting ranges.

“Either we do something now or the people moving into residential subdivisions will become threatened and do something to make the whole town a no-firearms discharge area,” Town Chairman Lester Bartel said during the board’s April 10 meeting.

“We have to enact some self-discipline because I don’t want to lose the right to shoot.”

Under the proposed ordinance, any people, including property owners, who shoot “more than 20 rounds of center fire cartridges in a 24-hour period at intervals of less than 20 seconds between rounds, shall be considered to be operating a firing range.”

The proposal also states that “sundown on Friday evening to sunup on Monday morning shall be treated as a 24-hour period.”

If the ordinance is adopted, the use of shotguns for trap shooting would also be limited to no more than 100 rounds per event and not more than 25 rounds per shooter in any 24-hour period. 

Property owners would be responsible for any firearms activity they allow on their land. Firearm-discharge permits would be required for any individual other than the property owner.

First-time offenders would be fined $100, with fines increasing to $500 for subsequent offenses.

Bartel said the ordinance is not intended to regulate or interfere with any legal hunting activity as permitted under the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources rules, seasons and ordinances.

Dozens of town residents attended the meeting. During an hour-long discussion,  several of them spoke in favor of and against the proposed ordinance.

Lakefield Road resident Jack Curtis supported the town’s definition of a shooting range, but said firearms can still create a “sonic crack” and asked who will enforce the ordinance. 

Bartel said the town would likely work with the Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office to enforce the ordinance.

Resident Don Korinek, who lives on Lakefield Road, said the ordinance would infringe on residents’ rights and that visitors cause most of the nuisance.

“We’re making an ordinance for someone out of the area shooting (in Grafton). People in the Town of Grafton are very responsible people,” he said.

Another town resident said new subdivision residents are sparking the call for change.

“Newbies are moving in, and they should take it like a grain of salt because they’re moving into an environment that has already been established,” the resident said.

Resident Neil Hobbs said he supports the town’s effort to control shooting.

“We have two issues in the town. One is hunting and one is shooting. I’m not against hunting, but when you start to look at the density of the various subdivisions it’s really an issue about safety and proper discharge,” Hobbs said.

“We’ve been at this for over three years. Hunting is a privilege in the state.”

Bartel said the town receives about 10 shooting complaints per year, most of which occur during the summer.

“The problem is not the guy who sights in his rifle. It’s the three guys that come out with AK-47s on a Sunday afternoon shooting 300 to 500 rounds,” Bartel said.

“If you don’t make the property owners responsible for what happens on their property, you’ll never catch the people who are causing the problems.”

Some residents said the matter should be decided through a referendum. The board consensus was to take action that will balance residents’ safety with shooting rights.

In March, the board agreed to add two densely populated areas to the town’s no-discharge firearms zone, including the Hillcrest neighborhood off River Bend Road, as well as the intersection of Lakefield Road and northeast quadrant of River Bend Road, which is the Grafton Little League complex.

The Little League complex is in the village but surrounded by the town. Bartel said he wanted to include the area in the ordinance to clarify that shooting is not allowed in the vicinity.

No action was taken during the April 10 meeting, but Bartel said the ordinance will be discussed again at a future meeting.

“It’s a work in progress and it’s work that needs to be done somehow,” Bartel said. “Nothing stays the same forever, and the town is changing.”