GEORGETOWN, Del. - Some people are all fired up over a shooting range in Georgetown. The owners of the range, located off Gravel Hill Road, filed for a special use exception with Sussex County, to give people a place to train with concealed carry weapons. People who live nearby, however, say they just want some peace and quiet. Neighbor Pete Lorah said, "The sound that comes from the backyard is louder than running a lawnmower and having a tractor trailer and a dump truck drive by in our front yard. So, having to live with that for several hours a day, multiple guns at a time? It can get quite distracting." The range just off Rt. 9, where Lorah lives. He says he is all for shooting ranges, just not one so close to homes. "We're pro gun and pro Second Amendment people, but this isn't a Second Amendment issue," he said, "It's a noise abatement issue. And they can make this backyard, where we built our patios and our porches, and they can make it as loud as sitting right next to Route 9, so what we'd really like to do is enjoy our backyards and have a little peace and quiet." The range is mainly used for concealed carry and other firearm training. Tom and Sharon Anderson live across the street. They say the sound is no bother, and the training is important.
"It doesn't bother me a bit," Tom said, "I'm not interested in signing anything against them, because I think it's important for training and so forth. But I understand how a lot of the people would feel, coming from New York, New Jersey, down that way." Those opposed to the range say they are happy to work with the range owners to ensure people can continue to train, while keeping the noise to a peaceful minimum. The Sussex County Board of Adjustments denied the Special Use Exception, citing that the shooting range did not demonstrate that it would not disturb its neighbors.