PARKER, Colo. - A neighborhood meeting is scheduled this week to discuss plans for an indoor firearm and archery range in Parker.
The range, called Back 40 Range, would be located on a 2.5-acre parcel in a new development at the intersection of South Chambers Road and Double Angel Road, across the street from the EchoPark Stadium.
Developer BCX Development said the gun range, which would be entirely indoors, would be about 25,000 square feet in size.
Some neighbors Denver7 talked to are nervous. Bryan Pierce has lived near the proposed site for three years and is opposed to the development.
"We are worried about our property home values. We are worried about noise levels, the peace and quiet that is our neighborhood," said Pierce.
He believes a shooting range close to a residential area would attract crime and hurt home values. Pierce said he's not against guns or gun owners.
"If I ever want to resell this house and somebody had to drive right here, that immediately would hinder the resale value of my home. It’s perception," he said.
Rion Buswell, the project's developer, said in a letter to Denver7 that the indoor range would be a safe facility, designed to educate the public about gun safety. He is assuring nearby residents that the facility would be constructed with noise suppression in mind.
"In addition to safety, we are concerned about any possible effects of sound. Our team has constructed ranges so that the training and classroom events can continue under the same roof as the range activities. Proper construction ensures not only the preservation of our own ability to conduct business but also abate any sound coming from the building through an exterior wall," Bruswell wrote.
BCX has scheduled a meeting for Wednesday, Feb. 28 at Lutheran High School so that neighborhood residents can learn more about the project. The meeting is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. in the school's flex room.
Denver7 has reached out to Parker's mayor and town council for comment but as of publishing this story we have not heard back.