Combat Veteran Says Shooting Range Would Aggravate PTSD
ARVADA, Colo. (CBS4)- Some people who live in a neighborhood in Arvada are upset about plans to build a shooting range in the area.
One of those residents, Gary Belhumeur, is a disabled combat veteran. He moved into the Leyden Rock neighborhood in August 2015 after he spent years searching for a community that had just what he was looking for after retirement.
"You know, serenity, quiet," said Belhumeur.
That quiet neighborhood might not be that way for much longer.
A proposal in Jefferson County would put an outdoor shooting range in the open space just one mile away.
"I'm not anti-gun. In fact, I'm an NRA member and I like going to the shooting ranges. I like the idea of being close by but not that close," said Belhumeur.
Preliminary results from a sound study found the noise reached up to 93 decibels from firing a single gunshot. That level is something that Belhumeur said would trigger his PTSD.
"I was a combat photographer and I saw gruesome things," said Belhumeur. "You carry that with you."
For the 32 percent of residents in Jefferson County who own a firearm, the nearest outdoor public shooting range is 35 miles away. Jeffco Open Spaces Director Tom Hoby said the need for one in Jefferson County is great.
"As the population in the Front Range grows, there are more and more people who own firearms who want a safe place to shoot. There are fewer and fewer places to shoot safely," said Hoby.
He said builders would use sound mitigation techniques like earthen-berm barriers to cut down on the noise level.
"We want to use as many of those techniques as possible. We want this to be a facility that is friendly to neighbors," said Hoby.
On Tuesday, Jefferson County and the City of Arvada will hold a public meeting from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Ralston Valley High School. Community members will be allowed to weigh in with their comments on the proposed shooting range.
If that proposal goes through, the range will be built within the next year to 18 months.
