School District Sends Message of Concern
Council Fails to Act on Shooting Range Threat Near Loveland Schools
Loveland, Ohio - Tuesday evening: two packed public meetings. First was the regular business meeting of the Loveland School Board where many in the audience attended to hear a "Resolution of Concern" that the Board was expected to approve, concerning a proposed firing range near the Loveland Elementary and Primary schools. The resolution passed unanimously.
Loveland City School District Board of Education
Resolution of Concern
The Loveland City School District Board of Education, having the utmost respect for the challenging responsibility of the duly elected Loveland City Council, understanding the authority of the City of Loveland Building and Zoning Department, and not wishing to enter into a debate regarding the Second Amendment Freedoms protected by the Constitution of the United States does hereby issue this Resolution of Concern pertaining to the potential indoor shooting range located in close proximity to Loveland Primary School and Loveland Elementary School located on Loveland-Madeira Road.
Then, many traveled to downtown Loveland to City Hall, where they were joined by others, making a standing room only crowd that spilled into the hallways.
Many rose to take their turn at the podium asking City Council to prevent the opening of the range. No one spoke in favor.
A motion to implement a moratorium on issuing new building permits for firing ranges in the City failed. Mayor Rob Weisgerber, Vice-Mayor David Bednar, Paulette Leeper, and Brenton Zuch voted against the ban. Angie Settell, Mark Fitzgerald, and Linda Cox voted "Yes".
Without a moratorium, Loveland's zoning department would have no option other than issuing a building permit for the Loveland Maderia Road location after a routine hearing by the Planing and Zoning Commission.
Zuch then moved to send marching orders to the Planing and Zoning Commission to begin the process of expanding areas in the City where shooting ranges would be allowed. His reasoning is that he hopes Symmes Township resident, Steven Ling, who is proposing the range near the schools, will change his mind and instead locate a range in Loveland's Industrial Park off of Union Cemetery Road or in Loveland's other industrial area, Kemper Road.
The Symmes Elementary School shares their property line with the industrial park (the industrial park is in the school's back yard) separated by a small wooded area. The industrial park is surrounded by neighborhoods and subdivisions. Speculation is that Ling is considering putting his firing range in the former Webster Packaging building on Kemper Road, a building approximately 500' from the Primary School. The currently proposed site of Ling's shooting range is about 300' from the Elementary School playground.
Zuch's motion passed with his own, Weisgerber's, Bednar's, and Leeper's approval. Cox, Settell, and Fitzgerald voted against expanding zones where shooting ranges would be allowed.
In the coming days Loveland Magazine will publish video from the meeting, including interviews with residents, the speeches they made, and the council debate.
Loveland Magazine will also publish video from the School Board meeting.
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