Residents fight plan for indoor firing range near their Gulfport homes
Residents of a historic Black community in Gulfport plan to appeal to Circuit Court the city of Gulfport’s decision to permit an indoor firing range near their neighborhood.
Councilwoman Ella Holmes-Hines, whose husband signed notice of the appeal for the Historical Turkey Creek Property Owners Association, said in a council meeting where the range was approved: “No one in this room wants a shooting range in front of their front door. We believe and know that it (would) never have happened in a white community, only in a Black community.”
The city’s Planning Commission approved the indoor firing range in a 7-1 vote for an industrial area of Creosote Road that sits just north of the Turkey Creek community, which was founded by freed slaves before Gulfport became a city.
The Homeowners Association appealed the decision to the City Council, which approved the firing range in a 3-1 vote with only five of seven council members present. Councilwoman Holmes-Hines, whose family still owns a home in Turkey Creek, was the lone dissenting vote. Council members R.Lee Flowers, Ron Roland and Richard Kosloski voted in favor of the range, while council president Rusty Walker abstained.
Gulfport shooting range debated
Both Flowers and Kosloski said the shooting range location is a good one because it is in an industrial area that includes a concrete plant.
The firing range would be on property owned by Broad Avenue Medical Specialists LLC, which lists Pass Christian entrepreneur Jourdan Nicaud as manager. Attorney Donovan Scruggs of Ocean Springs, representing Broad Avenue, said about $2 million would be invested in the range.
The business would include retail sales of firearms, protective equipment and other items. Donovan said the range would be expected to contribute about $100,000 a year in sales taxes to the city.
Two Turkey Creek community leaders spoke against the range at the Planning Commission meeting, where it was approved in April.
“One, with the worldwide spread of gun violence, why put something like this near a community?” asked Ethel Caldwell, who is with the community association. She said residents are concerned about noise from the guns and stray bullets that might penetrate the building. Residents also worry about increased traffic on narrow but heavily traveled Creosote Road.
Scruggs said the building will be sound proof, include a filtering system for smoke from firearms discharges and be built to specifications that would contain bullets. Also, he said, the indoor range is for smaller caliber guns than the high-caliber weapons fired at many outdoor ranges.
He said the building would house eight firing lanes. He said the nearest residence is more than 700 feet from the site, which is just under an acre.
Flowers said residents need a place to practice shooting. His neighbors, he said, have to drive to a firing range in McHenry. He recalled at least four proposals for indoor firing ranges in Gulfport, including one that was not approved because it was too close to houses and another that did get approved but was never built.
